This was a fun read! I liked it's pacing, use of forced (but agreed upon?) proximity, the setting in the French countryside and the sort of zany personality of the fmc. It kept me entertained throughout and sometimes that's all you can ask for.

I placed it at three stars because the main premise of the book, her sister marries the guy she has been in love with for years, is personally not for me. It wasn't the worst iteration of the trope so I was able to get past it without it being too bothersome. The sister was sort of a horrible person, and as a sister myself, I could never. Also, this book had a lot going on, plot wise, so at times it felt like it was too much, but surprisingly, the author tied it all together in a way that did not disappoint.

This was a gifted copy from NetGalley and I enjoyed both the e-book and audiobook. The narrator, Kelsey Navarro, did a superb job and made an enjoyable book even more so!

I thoroughly enjoyed French Holiday by Sarah Ready. The book was a delightful escape to the charming French countryside, filled with romance, humor, and mouthwatering descriptions of French cuisine. The characters were well-developed and likeable, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the story. The pacing was perfect, with just the right amount of tension and conflict to keep me engaged. The only reason I'm not giving this book a five-star review is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed and could have been more satisfying. However, overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, romantic read with a touch of France.

I've read my second Sarah Ready novel, and I must say, this one was a lot less confusing than the first!
After reading Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around and not realizing it was a sequel to a book I had not read, I was excited to dive into another of Sarah Ready's stories.
French Holiday is a great option for a fuffy romance. It has several fun tropes: Best friend marries sister, enemies to lovers. It has some good laughs. There's an air of mystery that is fun to untangle.
Is this book over the top at times? Yes. The lobster? It was a lot.
Is it still enjoyable? Yes.
In the world of romance, I'd consider this novel a "middle of the road" read, which is not a bad thing. I enjoyed the audiobook for this novel. It was entertaining on commutes to and from worm.
Will this blow your socks off? Probably not. But it's a fun time if you're in the mood for a romance read.

This was my first book by Sarah Ready and it was a surprisingly cute romcom that had me cracking up at some of the antics! I am not the biggest fan of unrequited love but luckily that issue wasn’t pushed too much after the beginning. The characters were entertaining with the exception of Angela and her husband (they reminded me too much of the sister and boss on 27 dresses). I loved the added touch of the mysterious woman from the painting, and yes I was crying at the end! Kelsey Navarro is the main reason I picked up this audio but the story definitely kept me interested!

Sarah Ready has redeemed herself for me - after the let-down of her last release, which ruined my love of her previous books and one of my favourite of 2022 (yes, I’m talking Josh & Gemma, and the sequel which I hated), this new one comes in and makes me love her again!

I really enjoyed French Holiday and the great banter and bickering between Merry and Noah, who first meet at the wedding of her sister Angela to Merry and Noah’s mutual best friend Leo (who Merry has been secretly in love with for years). Noah, in a private conversation with Leo, which of course Merry overhears, expresses his immediate and intense dislike of her, so she forms her own similar opinion about him.

After Merry has a huge, crushing thing to deal with at work, decides to take off to her Godmother’s villa in France for a few months to reset… just to find Noah on her doorstep. Jupiter (the Godmother) had “forgotten” she rented it out to him. Now they have to figure out how to co-exist, since neither one is willing to leave the crumbling villa… oh, and there’s only one bed!

It was fantastic, the way she weaved the whole story from start to finish with some mystery elements in it, the new friends they made in Annecy, the art aspect, and bringing in a lot of Angela and Leo. A definite recommendation, especially the audio done by one of my favourite narrators, Kelsey Navarro! Such a great job by her!

I received an advance review and listen copy from NetGalley, and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC (Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles), and this is my honest feedback.

I really enjoyed this book by Sarah Ready. Her descriptions of the chateau were so vivid I could easily picture the entire space. I really enjoyed learning and hearing more about Mary and the situation and background she came from versus how she ended up. I definitely recommend this one for anyone with a wanderlust and love for romance and even romcom. Thank you netgalley for the audiobook copy.

Sarah Ready has her niche in romance. I line that her heroines are a bit of an underdog, but they get the best HEAs. I enjoyed Merry and Noah's story from the beginning to the end..

This was so cute! It gave “Emily In Paris” vibes. Loved the enemies to lovers trope. The narrator made it really entertaining.

MV Rating: 7/10

•An easy listening, quirky rom-com following two heartwarming enemies turned lovers.
•Merry is trying to escape her unrequited love, and stumbles straight into the last man she ever thought she’d want…. In FRANCE. In a CASTLE!
•the story was surprisingly detailed, with multiple sub-plots that ultimately tied together well.
•for fans of any Tessa Bailey novel, this is sure to be a fun listen!

"Every woman should have a flight plan...for when your life is in a trash compactor and the walls are closing in...you have to climb out."

French Holiday, by one of my favorite romantic comedy authors, the prolific Sarah Ready, is the perfect escape for a few hours.

If ever anyone needs to get away it's Merry Deluca. She just attended the wedding of her sister to Leo; Merry's best friend and the man she has loved for the last five years. The night she was to tell him her feelings he met her sister and she never had a chance. Then she woke up in bed with the best man Noah who calls her out about her crush on Leo. Definitely time for a holiday.

I adored the comedic frustration of narrator Kelsey Navarro as she makes us feel Merry's delusion of her life. Lucky for her Jupiter, her free spirited godmother, asks her to go to France and check out an old chateau she bought sight unseen. If only it was the wine drinking, croissant eating, french kissing adventure of her dreams. Instead she finds her one night stand who hates her at the chateau.

Noah has his own agenda for being there that has nothing to do with Merry. Too bad they can't just ignore each other since this is the one chateau with only one bedroom. There are also rats, bats, roaches and Louis the runaway Lobster. Honestly, the funniest scenes involve this lively lobster.

This cute rom com has a bit of mystery, some real life feels, a few steamy moments and is the perfect getaway.

I received a free copy of this audiobook this audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All
opinions are my own.

This was a cute story about a girl who is in love with her best friend, Leo falls for and marries her sister. her godmother, then convinces her to go on a sabbatical and stay at her château in France. Of course, as most romances go when she gets to the Château it is crumbling and has no electricity and of course her nemesis Leo’s best friend Noah is also staying there. Some of the storyline was disjointed for me and that may have just been because I listened to it instead of reading it. There were parts that were very funny (lobster scene) and overall I enjoyed it but did think the character development was lacking. It did have a interesting twist toward the end and because 75% of the book was very PG. I was a little shocked by the spiciness of a few scenes. It almost felt like they were just thrown in there, because it was a romance novel.

3.5 rounded up.

This book was…. a ride. It felt like 3 or 4 books in one. It seemed as if too many subplots were battling to be front and center. The main character and Noah were the only consistencies and they each had their own storyline. It wasn’t a multiple POV so it all seemed to just pile on top of one another and you never knew what was coming next.

It started off as a women’s fiction, felt like it switched to romance, then there was the “thriller/ mystery” aspect, then back to romance. That being said, I did enjoy it.

The narrator was great although I had to speed it up to 2x and even that felt too slow so eventually I bumped it up to 2.5x.

3.5 rounded down simply because it was too long. Edit please! The audiobook was adorable but even that couldn’t save it. Just too much for a rom com. Maybe the mystery element could’ve been left out? Also, I love a grumpy/sunshine moment but Noah wasn’t a grump he was plain ol’ mean and that just doesn’t work for me.
Thanks to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, IBPA, and Members’ Titles and Audiobooks for the early review copies.

What a delightful enemies to lovers story this was! I really was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Merry and Noah’s story.

Merry has loved her friend Leo for years and she dislikes his friend Noah. But when Leo marries Merry’s sister Angela, and Merry decides to get away to a rundown castle in France not knowing that Noah is staying there in pursuit of a secret from his past all bets are off!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers of the audiobook for giving me a wonderful listen.

This book had a great opening and was so cleverly written. I loved how chapters 1 and 2 start with the same line but chapter 1 gives context for the events of chapter 2. It flows so well! I liked the family dynamic and the sibling relationship and how complex it was. The main characters thoughts and feelings towards her family felt very honest and real.

I loved the main character's personality. She's cute and quirky but still has reasonable flaws and a great internal monologue. The love interest compliments her perfectly, appreciating her quirks while being more worldly. The set up for their romance was nice, but the enemies to lovers set up felt weak. Mary seemed to not like Noah exclusively because he said she wasn't his type. Meanwhile, her best friend was still perfect even though he said her sister is a better version of her. I appreciate how this conflict evolved and eventually resolved though.

Noah's background was devastating and interesting and I loved everything about his character! I loved how he introduced this historical love story/mystery.

Specifically for the audiobook, I loved the narrator. She had great tone throughout and the way she portrayed each character with her voice was spot on.

Thank you #NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC for this this alc of #FrenchHoliday in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughts: Cute RomCom. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions while listening to this audiobook. The narrator was a great fit and made listening to this perfect. I would’ve rated this 3 1/2 stars, but I felt that the narrator made me more engaged in the story elevating that to the 4 stars.

Ever feel like a hot mess? At every turn main character Merry finds herself in some type of messy situation. Found it hilarious and sweet. The dynamic between her and Noah was fun and I found myself eager to see what was in store for them next.

Cute romcom even if it was a bit unrealistic. I didn’t love it, but I enjoyed it. It kept me entertained.

3.5

I loved the chemistry between our characters and the amount of time it took for them to fall in love. I thoroughly enjoyed my time while reading this and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

3.5 stars

Last year, I read Gemma and Josh's story and adored it. It was fun and I was pregnant so I was thrilled to read about getting pregnant. I read the sequel this year and was so disappointed with it. I don't think that the book needed a continuation. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I didn't want to request it because of my disappointment. But after a time, I saw it so my that I convinced myself that I should give it a try at least.
I listened to the audiobook and read the ebook same time.

Plot
I liked the beginning of this book. The rom-com setting was entertaining, it reminded me of a few cute Netflix movies (Falling Inn Love, Love in the Villa). I enjoyed this book until 40%. After that, I just started to be bored. The story became very predictable with the French side characters, I wouldn't say I liked the mystery thread and there was too much coincidence. The romance was not engaging anymore. I felt the humour was constrained.

Characters
I liked Merry. She was relatable, also she had a sad backstory. Noah was ok for me. I don't have any feelings towards him. I don't hate him, nor love him. He was just ok. I initially felt the chemistry between them, but I lost interest in the middle. I felt that Merry fell in love too quickly. Also, she forgot Leo in a sec. I'm not convinced she loved him at all.
I hate her sister and Leo. She was so annoying. Her thread with Leo was confusing, annoying and sad. The ending with Leo was annoying. Also, Leo was her best friend, but they didn't talk after the wedding. Then how are they best friends? I don't say think that not speaking for months is normal for friends.
The two French characters (Pierre and Camille) were just a big cliché.

Narration
I liked the narration. Kelsey Navarro did a good job.

Overall, this was an ok book. I think I finished my relationship with Sarah Ready. Her writing style and books are not for me (the first Josh and Gemma was a win just because of its theme, but I had a few issues there, too).

Merry smiles as she watches her little sister marry her best friend. The only problem, is Merry is in love with him, too. And the best man, Noah, can see it on her face. After a night she can't remember with Noah (although she gets the gist of what went down looking around the room the next morning as she is putting on her clothes), she knows she needs to regroup. Her godmother offers her the chance to look after her French chateau. And what could be a better way to nurse a broken heart and wounded pride than escape to a picturesque French chateau? Until she sees the state of disrepair it is in. And that Noah is there too!

She and Noah come to a truce so they can both stay and they form a sweet friendship. Merry tries to have a passionate affair with a Frenchman, but that doesn't quite go to plan. Especially when she realizes she is falling for Noah. But Noah seems to be searching for something more than just his next documentary. And when her sister says Noah is dangerous, she doesn't quite know what to think.

This book was a fun escape and a slow burn. I truly enjoyed the blending of rom com and cozy mystery.

I am thankful for the electronic copy of the book that I received from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.