I loved French Holiday. This sweet book came at a good time for me. I just cancelled yet another vacation and this gave me a little vicarious trip to France. Yes, it was a typical enemies to lovers rom/com, but don’t you just love that? I often enjoy reading light books for their purely escapist entertainment, better still if I can escape to a French chateau with handsome neighbors.

This book was such a fun read, I loved the setting so much, it was an easy faced paced and cheesy book that had me hooked from page 1.

This was such a great book to listen too. I loved Kelsey Navarro who narrated this book. I found it to be a quick listen and had some really good laugh out loud moments. I loved Merry and Noah! If you looking for a really cute and sweet book, I would highly recommend you read this or listen to the eBook. I hope to read or listen to more of Sarah Ready's books.

Thank you NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC for allowing me to listen to this in advanced for my honest opinion.

Reading this book is like taking a bite of a Funfetti cupcake. It’s cute and sweet but there’s not a whole lot of depth.

Meredith “Merry” DeLuca is in unrequited love with her best friend Leo who just so happens to be marrying her beloved sister Angela. After the wedding she journeys to France to live in a chateau for a few months to heal her broken heart. It just so happens that Leo’s best man, Noah, who Merry despises appears to also be living in said chateau. Hijinks ensue.

On the surface this book is very enjoyable. Merry and Noah are clearly infatuated with each other despite their appearance of dislike. The setting is charming and the supporting cast of characters quirky. It reads like a typical romcom full of ridiculous scenarios and mishaps but not without an undercurrent of romance. There’s even a third act mystery to solve.

I just wish this book had more on its mind than falling in love and being silly. The relationship between Merry and her sister was ripe for exploration but didn’t really go anywhere. Merry quit her job and left her old life behind but she never really reckoned with that decision. I wanted to see more growth from her.

Overall, the book is a light and breezy read. It’s perfect if you like your romantic comedies with a generous side of tropes like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and there’s only one bed.

Merry can’t think of a time when she hasn’t loved Leo. One slight problem…. Leo is her best friend and he’s marrying her sister. At the wedding Merry is partnered with the best man Noah, who is as far from that as can be in Merry’s mind. He’s just the worst, and for the life of her she can’t figure out what it is about her that he hates so much.

A chain of events means Merry needs to get away. And were better than a castle in France where she can lock her wounds (and her pride. And hopefully meet a cute Frenchman. But she crosses paths with Noah, who seems destined to cramp her style.

French Holiday is a bit of a turbulent emotional ride. Noah has a significant secret and there’s another couple of characters who fulfil a bit of a bait and switch role within the book. It’s well done and a bit cute.

I have to say Merry is hard work, despite not meaning to be. She’s a bit beaten down (emotionally) and I did struggle with the ease with which she fell out of love with Leo, and became interested in someone else. Her character didn’t scream independent woman, more woman seeks man to complete her so she can follow him to the anywhere….

French Holiday was a very interesting and absorbing novel. They say 'never judge a book by its cover,' and this book really does give more than the cover indicates. A story about finding yourself, containing some very funny episodes, which had me laughing! I also enjoyed the frequent descriptions of France, which were many and varied, and which transported me there, especially of the chateau!
The style of the book could be called a romantic comedy, although this story offers so much more, with genuine insights into the human psyche. The middle sections of the story included an additional mystery, which took us down a different path, leading to a cliffhanger situation. Brilliant!
This book would appeal to anyone who feels the need to escape from the restrictions of life, especially with the lure of France on offer! I would recommend it, and look forward to reading more stories by Sarah Ready. It was a pleasure to review French Holiday for NetGalley.

3.5 Stars French Holiday by Sarah Ready is a vacation rom-com set in a beautiful, but dilapidated French chateau. After Merry DeLuca’s younger sister marries her best friend and unrequited love, Merry is in dire need of a change. Just as Merry quits her depressing HR job and her sister announces her pregnancy, Merry’s godmother asks if Merry will temporarily move to France to look after her chateau. Three months in a beautiful French chateau? Yes please! The chateau is beautiful on the outside, but it’s what’s inside that sends Merry spinning: an old run down estate and Noah Wright. Noah was best man at the wedding and he’s made it clear that he doesn’t like Merry or the fact that she’s been pining over their shared best friend. It seems that Merry’s godmother forgot to mention that she’s renting the chateau to Noah while he spends time researching and writing for the next season of his wildly popular travel series. Merry and Noah agree to make peace for the time being and try to avoid each other while both living in the chateau. Easier said than done when there’s only one bed.

This was a fun and breezy rom com. The word count made it seem like it would be a lot longer, but the action kept the story going. I liked the bit of mystery surrounding the chateau, a disappeared artist, and even Noah himself. I wasn’t expecting that element of the story, but it was a delight. Recommend this one for a fun read with a romantic HEA!

French Holiday by Sarah Ready is a rom-com story with enemies to lovers and the forced proximity trope about Merry and her vacation in France.

Merry is heartbroken because her best friend got married to her sister. To escape her heartbreak, she flew to France to live in her godmother Jupiter’s chateau. There she comes across Noah, the best man at her sister’s wedding and the worst man in her life.

Merry is a funny character. Merry loves her sister and will do anything for her. Merry was described in the book as an ugly duckling who wants to become a swan. I loved Merry and her escape plan to France. Noah, on the other hand, is a mysterious character. Merry bickering with Noah was hilarious. I love the way they talk to each other and solve their differences, leaving no room for miscommunication and trying to help each other, Noah helps Merry find the magic in France, and Merry helps find Noah’s estranged father.

But the star of the book is Louis the Lobster. Louis added so much fun to the book.

I loved the character growth and layers in the story. I liked the chateau setting (excluding the rat and big cockroaches). I loved the plot, it has a combination of romance, mystery, and comedy.

The plot was a bit predictable. It was a fun and quick read. A perfect book for a summer read.

“No. No. But haven’t you noticed? Women are always told, chin up! Don’t complain! Be quiet! Don’t ever ask for more. If your life is hard, too bad, that’s your lot! Stay with the terrible husband, stick with the horrible job, keep trudging along until you die… No one ever tells women that it’s okay to leave. It’s okay to get out!”

French Holiday reminded me of 27 Dresses... but better. Merry has secretly been in love with her best friend Leo for years, but on the night she plans to tell him about her feelings, Leo meets Merry's little sister Angela. The next morning Leo and Angela are engaged, and Merry is left heartbroken. After the wedding and a spur-of-the-moment decision to quit her job, Merry accepts an offer from her godmother to spend three months at a French chateau. She needs an escape—a flight plan—and the chateau is just that.

The only problem: the property’s already been leased to her ‘nemesis’ Noah. Noah is a famous travel documentarian who is in France researching his next project and hoping to get answers about his past. Neither Noah nor Merry is willing to give up the chateau to the other, so they are stuck sharing the chateau and its only bed.

This book does not take itself too seriously and is full of humor and laughter. It is a great choice for anyone who likes tropes such as enemies to lovers or forced proximity romances. While reading this novel, I laughed regularly and shed a few tears. From angry lobsters to falling down castles to family mysteries, it will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

Thank you Netgalley for this e-ARC.

Read if you like
🦞enemies to lovers
🦞forced proximity
🦞vacation romance
🦞family mystery
🦞 light-hearted romance

After watching the man of her dreams marry someone else (her sister), Merry flees to the French countryside to clear her head. She hopes that time away will change her life for the better. When she arrives at the estate she finds Noah, the dislikeable best man from her sister’s wedding. The pair will have to find a way to live peacefully for the next three months.

French Holiday is a delicious, open-door romance with a side of mystery. This book has a little bit of everything - forced proximity, enemies to lovers, a dilapidated castle. These MCs are ready to fall in love with anyone but each other. Like most romance “enemies” all of their issues stem from a long held misunderstanding.

I was intrigued by the addition of a bit of mystery pertaining to the lost/missing artist. It adds something extra to the plot and helps balance out any angst caused by the “will they, won’t they” of the MCs.

Kelsey Navarro is a phenomenal narrator. She really brings all of that sweet and spicy banter to life. I highly suggest getting the audiobook if you can.

I have read numerous books by Sarah Ready and she continues to impress every time. I look forward to reading whatever she has next for her readers.

I voluntarily read, listened to, and reviewed advanced copies of this book and audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC!

Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, one bed, and one (crumbling) French castle. Two enemies-at-first-sight. The holiday of a lifetime what could go wrong? I’m completely OBSESSED with this book!! It quickly became one of my favorite books while still in the process of reading it. The plot is incredibly well done, like it all came full circle and was so beautiful. The setting of Annecy, France where the book takes place is just so magical and it makes the book so beautiful to read. There’s so much imagery and well written scenes in this book. I love Merry and Noah’s characters. They both have gone through so much. This book was a total surprise and I’m so happy I got the chance to read it because I think it finally got me out of my reading slump by being such an incredible surprise!
Thank you Sarah Ready and NetGalley for this eArc!

This is a hybrid review, since I was approved by the author, publishers and NetGalley for the print and audio versions of this novel. That made it easy to toggle between the two and enjoy two approaches.

I very much enjoyed this story, it's a classic escapist fantasy. I suppose there are many hr specialists who haven't had to work through a major downsizing, but really, that is part of the job and will happen many times over a career. I felt for our heroine and cheered for her as she quit her job and ran to France. The familiar trope of "hate turns to love" is approached well in Ms. Ready's version, complicated by her unrequited love for her best male friend who just married her perfect younger sister. Yikes! The slow burn and the emotional growth for each of the couple was satisfying and of course led, not without twists and turns, to a satisfying completion.

I laughed a number of times at the romantic fantasy elements. . . the rundown "castle" infested with bats and rats, with but one bedroom to share and no bed after some animal activity. We glossed right past the issues of heating water for coffee and bathing, much less food, on a wood-burning stove, being able to bring enough candles and lanterns to light the way, And how did they do dishes? But in the end none of that mattered, because it is France and we just don't worry about those kinds of things in our romance. I was happy to buy into every minute of it! 4 stars for the book and audiobook.

Oops she did it again!

I absolutely loved it. I've read this book by one sitting and I just couldn't put it down. I had to know what will happen.

The way Sarah Ready describes feeling... my poor heart. The first 50 pages I had a literal heartache. Then I got wooed with funny scenes 🐀🦞 and cute interactions between Noah and Merry. And of course somewhere on the way I also cried. Perfection.

I love the fact that despite great romance, we also got a secret to solve. Mystery about ghost, artist and priorities. Is pride more important than love?

Now I have a problem, because honestly I can't choose between Noah and Josh from "Josh and Gemma Make A Baby". I guess that I'll just have to live them both 🖤.

As I mentioned Sarah Ready did it again. She holds my heart in her hands and I love every single one of her books that I've read. I have high expectations and somehow I'm always being positively surprised! Can't wait for her next book!

I received the book from NetGalley in exchange of honest review.

Thank you Sarah Ready, NetGallery and. Swift & Lewis Publishing for the eARC of French Holiday. Cute romcom, with a few mystery twists that I was not expecting. Some of this book was a bit cheesy (Louis, the rat and bugs) but overall I enjoyed the character development.

The setting, French Countryside, makes me want to rent a castle and eat all the cheese and crusty bread. Loved the way she ended the book.

I really liked this book, but thought it started off a little slow. The characters were interesting and fun. Merry was a bit obvious about her crush on Leo, and hence Noah's animosity. This is a sort of enemies to lovers book. Merry and Noah end up sharing a delipidated castle. This book has a bit of mystery, romance, and wine (loved the descriptions). 4 stars I’ll recommend to others!

Come for the French chateau setting and enemies-to-lovers set up, stay for the allusions to Gothic novels of the past! This is a fun and surprising modern take on the Victorian Gothic novel. Who can't relate to the feeling of needing to escape your life for a bit? Maybe you can't quit your job and move to a castle in France, but reading French Holiday gives you a little piece of that escape. You'll take in the French countryside and small town charm right along with Merry as Noah's brooding charm stirs up romance and mystery. By the end of the book, I felt like I had been on vacation!

Sarah Ready has easily become an auto read author for me since Josh and Gemma. So I was happy to be able to review French Holiday through #netgalley especially since this was a bit of a lighter read yet not lacking in depth.
The characters were likeable although I did not feel as much with them as with Josh and Gemma but I blame the pacing for this. Every time I felt that we were getting somewhere and it was building up to something there was an interruption which sometimes made me think if there were just too many subplots going on. Pierre and Camille could have easily filled a whole novel themselves (I would be happy to read that) and Merrys sisters story probably could do the same although I doubt I would like Angela. Now this was really the only downside for me. I liked Merry and Noah. I liked the funny scenes (Louis will forever be my favourite lobster) and I liked seeing Noah’s story unfold. Overall this was a great enemies to friends to lovers story.

From picturesque vineyards to charming cobblestone streets, Merry thought her French holiday would be straight out of a movie - until she realizes her dream chateau turned out to be a crumbling castle for cat-sized rats and a vengeful lobster. To make matters worse, she has to share it with Noah; a famous travel documentarian, and Merry's least favorite person.

Full disclosure: I don't read a lot of contemporary romance, but boy was I in for a treat. It's the perfect concoction of love, laughter, gorgeous scenery, and a dash of mystery. I mean, the scene when Merry peels the grape in front of Pierre? I think that has to be the first time a book made me laugh out loud. The dynamic between Noah and Merry was spot on, and their sunshine vs. grumpy banter was super charming, and often entertaining too thanks to Merry being such a goofball.

My only complaint is that the writing can get a bit long-winded at times. It does fit Merry's character, but personally, I found it a bit much. But honestly, that's just a minor quibble in what is otherwise a delightful read. This book is definitely a must-read for anyone who needs a dose of feel-good vibes in their life!

I really liked this book. It was recommended to me by a friend. I’m so glad I read this one. It was amazing. Very well written story. I will definitely be rereading this book again in the near future and I will add it to my library

French Holiday is a heartfelt and funny enemies to lovers romance. When Merry’s sister marries Leo (Merry’s best friend who she’s been secretly in love with for years) Merry needs a change of scenery and a fresh start. Her godmother Juniper sends her to look after her chateau in the French countryside but fails to mention she also rented the chateau to travel documentarian Noah Wright. Noah just happens to be Leo’s other best friend and Merry’s sworn enemy. The chateau is in disrepair, and there’s Only One Bed. As Noah and Merry get to know each other better, they realize that there’s more to each of them than they ever imagined. Featuring a colorful supporting cast from their French neighbors living their own love story, a mysterious painter and his lover, and a feisty lobster named Louis, French Holiday is ultimately a very satisfying romance read. I’d recommend to all fans of the genre!