French Holiday by Sarah Ready 3.5 stars

This was my first book by Sarah Ready and I enjoyed her writing style. I loved the characters and the scene she set in France. I could feel the warmth of the sun and then damp in the stones. I could imagine the crumbling ruins of the castle. Even though I wouldn’t sleep in a centuries old bed myself. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments, I really enjoyed the dialogue between our two MC’s.

*Spoilers*

There were a few small inconsistencies in the story. For example while Merry and Noah are having breakfast she says; He’s already finished his croissant. He ate it with gusto.

Then on the same page a few paragraphs down she says; He looks down at his breakfast and tears a bit of his croissant off but instead of eating it, he sets it back on his plate.

I didn’t enjoy the scene with the lobster, it felt too unbelievable. I have never known a lobster to jump back out of a pot of boiling water and cause such a ruckus.

I also didn’t love Angela labelling Noah a murderer. It felt unnecessary, that’s a huge accusation. I’m sure Leo wouldn’t let his friend stay in the same place as a suspected murderer. Also he was never really a suspect after the police found out his mother got in a flight to France before she died.

But I’m glad Noah found closure.

And I’m glad Merry found Noah.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for this ARC. Looking forward to reading more in the future.

An entertaining, slowburn, enemies to lovers romcom as Merry takes herself off to France to lick her wounds in private after her spoilt sister Angela swoops in and marries the love of her life Leo just as Merry was about to reveal her feelings to him. Instead of the elegant country chateau she was expecting though, she finds a decrepit house that’s literally falling down. To make matters worse there’s already a sitting tenant – Noah, Leo’s best man and someone she’d rather have never set eyes on again….. oh and there’s only one bed!

There was fantastic chemistry between Merry and Noah in French Holiday with some amusing dialogue and I loved the slow build up of their relationship as they gradually got to really know one another, becoming friends before they acted on their attraction and took things further. I liked most of the secondary characters except for Angela and Leo, both of who were spoilt and selfish to the bone but the overall story of this book more than made up for them. I mean a gothic mystery involving an elusive artist, a fire in a tower and the ghost of a mysterious woman all wrapped up in a surprisingly funny romcom! What’s not to love! There were a few instances that actually had me laughing out loud and they usually involved Merry and her battles with Louis, the homicidal Napoleon of lobsters.

As a rule romcoms are a bit of a hit or miss for me but this one is definitely a hit.

I’m really going back and forth since finishing this. Some of the random scenes in this just weren’t for me, and others completely were.

I feel like that emotional journey both these characters goes through us beautifully written. I really enjoyed them as a couple. I did feel though that a portion of the dialogue was not really believable. I think there were some things that didn’t need to be said, I don’t always enjoy being spoon fed character development.

Like I said before, I don’t think I was the audience for the “com” half of this rom com. The humor felt very Disney channel to me.

My favorite part of the book was the use of metaphor! Truly some gorgeous writing in here.

<b>French Holiday by Sarah Ready was incredibly cute, fun and entertaining! It was an epic entertainer set in a haunted French chateau where two enemies are forced to stay by some witty coincidences. I laughed. I swooned. I was completely submerged in the French small town with the beautiful nature and adorable architecture and amazing food. And at the same time, it delivered raw emotions at the most important turns of the story.</b>

Annecy was Merry DeLuca's flight plan. She escaped to the old French chateau owned by her godmother...After her best friend and unrequited love Leo got married to her sister and they got pregnant immediately after their honeymoon. There is just another big issue. Noah Cartwright, celebrity travel documentarian and videographer and Leo's good friend and Merry's not so favorite person..is also staying there for his next project. Will this be their chance to love?

<b>This one had some of my favorite tropes like grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, enemies to lovers..and it was so well written. The banter and humor was on point. I was transported to picturesque French countryside with these two awesome person. Merry has a big heart. Life has made her believe that she is not worthy of love. She always put others happiness first and that has given her heartache. This holiday was her chance for a new beginning. I have heart eyes for this woman. She is smart and sassy in a cute way and so relatable as a heroine. She is not perfect. Like not a model from magazine. She dresses like normal people, she has insecurities and doubts like normal people..and I love her for it. Noah is exact opposite of her. He is well loved for his work. He is famous and have millions of fans. But in real life, he is closed off. Grumpy. Brooding. And from first meeting, he showed animosity towards Merry. It's actually a cover up for his true feelings. The fact is that he liked her from the first look but he also felt that she was in love with his friend. This time together, where they tackle the monumental job of chateau makeover, opens up an opportunity to get to know each other better. Merry finds out Noah isn’t the hot looking cold hearted guy. Noah finds out her deepest pain. And then there is a component of cozy mystery involving a reclusive missing artist, his lost paintings, the haunted history of the chateau, treasure hunt for Noah's mom and secrets of his past, a French neighbor...doesn’t make sense? Well it will when you read it. All the puzzle pieces fit so beautifully. Noah and Merry made me swoon so hard. There are some powerful moments in this story those I will remember forever. French Holiday by Sarah Deady was a delightful read and I cannot wait to read more from her.</b>

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

A fab read. Merry needs to.escape her life in the US so takes an opportunity to go to France and start in a chateau owner by her godmother. What she doesn't expect to find is Noah, who she has a complicated relationship with. Will being in the chateau bring them together or drive them apart?

This story was an unexpected surprise. At the time I started reading I didn’t realize she has written several other books I’ve also enjoyed.
The story starts at a wedding. Merry’s sister is getting married to merry’s best friend whom merry thinks she also loves. As it goes, there are lots of interesting characters (Jupiter) and interesting places (a falling down castle in france). There were several mysteries to uncover but overall a great read which leaves the reader satisfied with the outcome.

This is the kind of book that makes you feel like you're reading it sitting in a French garden with a nice, cool glass of white wine. It's perfectly romantic and entertaining and full of deep, delicious bites that kept me turning pages and loving it.
Merry DeLuca was a bridesmaid at her sister Angela's wedding to her best friend, Leo, who she also happens to be in love with. But everything's fine because her sister is perfect and deserves everything, or at least that's the bull she's been force-fed all her life and actually believes. So she's trying to pretend that everything's alright when things at work make her question everything about how her life is going. Enter her artsy godmother, a professional muse who just happens to own a chateau in France in need of someone to take care of it for a few months. So Merry leaves everything behind in search of a movie-like romance to get her mind over everything. Only her godmother forgot to mention that also in residence in the not-so-perfect chateau will be Leo's best friend, who Merry is convinced hates her, Noah.
It's a bit of a complex setup, but the story itself is deliciously simple as both Merry and Noah learn to share space, and confidences and revelations lead them to discover things about themselves they wouldn't have realized on their own. It's a bit of a character study wrapped up in rom-com goodness full of all the best tropes-- there's only one bed!

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the perfect read!

Thanks to Netgalley for the E-Arc I was totally here for Noah and Merry and their adventure in the castle. The comedy was off the hook I found myself laughing hysterically till I coughed so much my son had to come check on me. (thank you allergies)
I loved how it was a deep (heavy, tough subjects) book but didnt put me in a dark mood I think the comedy made it all flow effortlessly that at the end of the day the comedy was what shinned thru. I totally read the bonus chapter and let me tell you It DID not Disappoint.

French Holiday was so fun to read. I loved how the story evolves around not just the MCs but also the other characters which I liked so much (great job Sarah Ready!), and the setting was so cool, imagine leaving in a French castle, drinking wine and eating baguette along with your pet lobster? (Never mind the disaster inside the castle 🤭)

I found the characters so funny and adorable. Merry, who's so cute in all ways and such a sunshine, came from an unrequited love to endless, true love. Noah, a grumpy, famous guy who's so inlove with Merry right at the beginning, is so charming and adorable. I almost cry when he finally meets his father. And I loved the other characters too especially Pierrer and Camille.

All in all, the story was great, and I really had a great time reading it. I'll recommend this to readers who love reading romcoms, enemies-to-lovers to one-bed-trope, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine.

Thank you to Sarah Ready, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For Merry life is to overwhelming especially after her good friend (unrequited love) marries her twin sister. She's
on vacation to process the loss of potential relationship and to recharge her batteries. Unfortunately her nemesis
Noah is staying at the same chateau. He's on a research project. This will make you laugh. Overall a 3 star read.


********************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*******************************************

This book was so cute. It focuses on Merry who is always in the shadow of her younger sister who always wants what Merry has. Angela gets married to Leo who’s Merry’s best friend and long time crush and Merry has a bit of a crisis. She ends up taking a trip to France where all of the magic happens!

This was so cute and relatable! I loved the sister dynamic and how I grew to love and hate the characters and their decisions. The world building was great and the mystery behind Noah’s father made for a great plot outside of the romance. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I loved it. I can’t wait to read more!

This was my first book by Sarah Ready, and I absolutely loved it. It made me look forward to the summer and all the summer/vacation romances already out and releasing this year. But this one was brilliant. The chemistry and the mysterious plot made the book even better, and the journey of self-discovery for the hero and heroine.
The book begins with Merry preparing to walk down the aisle to the love of her life, but not as the bride but as a bridesmaid and maid of honour for her sister. Yep, I instantly did not like Angela. You can see how difficult it is for Merry, sitting on the sidelines, accepting the fact her sister is marrying the man she loves. Noah, the best man, seemingly hates Merry and is really bitter about her unrequited love (a prominent theme and discussion throughout the book).
After a tense wedding, a thought-to-be intense one night stand between Merry and Noah and the news that her sister was pregnant, Merry contacts her free-spirited godmother who promises escapism in a rural French chateau. Prepared for a relaxing reset on her tumultuous life, Merry finds Noah squatting in her perfect castle and starts beating him with a cucumber (which honestly was hilarious) because she thinks he’s stalked her after their sexcapade at the wedding. Turns out Noah has paid to stay there while he researchers art and a secret artist. After joking about meeting a mysterious French man labelled Pierre, a genuinely real Pierre arrives and he is just so charming and the friendship (and jealousy they attract) between him and Merry was great. I didn’t like Camille but I could tell that was the authors intention. By the end she was tolerable and I didn’t mind her, but initially she grated on my nerves.
I loved the setting, the humour, the chemistry. It was super easy to immerse yourself into the story. The characters you were supposed to love, you really did. The characters written with the intention of the reader hating them really worked and the side plot of a mysterious hunt for an artist who vanished after an accident was brilliant. It just added this extra dimension to a traditional slow-burn romance story. I won’t say much more about that side of things as it develops beautifully throughout.
I highly suggest you read this. It made me want to research small French villages that I could escape to this summer but unfortunately I do not have a handsome man to meet me there or know anyone that could lead me to charming French people and artists. I’ll definitely be reading the authors other work and I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Thank you for the eARC. I really appreciate it. As always my opinions and tastes in books are my own.

✨ARC Review ✨
***
Thank you to Sarah Ready for the ARC to review.
***
French Holiday was hilarious and so sweet. I loved these two characters so much. Merry had me rolling with laughter constantly. She was amazing and so accident prone. Noah was a bit of a grump but you cannot help but fall head over heels for him. This story was absolutely amazing and full of twists and turns. I loved the chemistry between the characters and their love/hate relationship. The ending was so good and I was left with a huge smile. Definitely a great read!
***
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
***

Full review on my TikTok account!

This contemporary, holiday romance has a single point of view, the one bed trope, the forced proximity trope, and focuses on unrequited love.

In brief, the two main characters have to live together in a dilapidated house in the French countryside. The first half the of the book is a pretty bog standard romance, where the FMC is trying to have a holiday romance and forget about her home life whereas the MMC is slightly mysterious and seems to be there for research for his career. You watch their relationship develop in a really fun and enjoyable way and some of the chapters were absolutely hilarious. But by the middle of the book, Sarah made sure that the readers were not disappointed because she added in almost a plot twist that turned the second half of the book into a bit of a mystery romance, which was really entertaining (although some parts scared me haha!). Particularly during the second half, we see a very rich backstory coming from the main characters, and you develop a good bond with the characters.

Overall, it was a slight slowburn that had a beautiful storyline (which made me cry slightly at the end). Overall I rated it a 4.75/5 and a 2.5/5 in spiciness and I really recommend that people pick this up!

What a fun romp through the French countryside with Merry!

Merry has had a difficult time of it lately, her crush/best friend Leo marries her sister and she has a instant dislike of Noah, the best man, especially after spending the night with him. To top it off she quits her job without a backup plan.

Her godmother, Jupiter rescues her by offering her a three month stay at her French castle. Unbeknownst to Merry, Noah has paid Jupiter to stay at the same castle, also for three months. Of course the castle is in ruins, and the presence of an unexpected roommate is not how Merry planned to reclaim her life.

The story is fast-paced and laugh out loud funny. Enemies to friends to possibly lovers, well you will just have to read and find out! I wholeheartedly recommend the French Holiday as a delightful diversion to what is ailing you!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: April 26, 2023

I absolutely loved Merry DeLuca's story! She's one of those high-spirited FMCs from rom-com movies who goes in search of love and magic and dreams, and gets herself into absurd situations (in this case, it involves rats and bats and cockroaches and drinking grapes, among other things) "Louis the Lobster" is the real deal tho 🤣

The tone of the story reminded me of Leap Year - if you haven't watched the movie, take it as a sign 🥺 The first half of the book is *perfection* and I enjoyed the surprising turn of events in the latter half. The ending was perfect, but the bonus epilogue - Oh. My. Word!

Btw, Noah is *chef's kiss* 🙈🫶🏻

🥖 Jupiter's fun!

🥖 Pierre and Camille were cute :D

🥖 Not a fan of Leo & Angela (at all); they're meant to be tho 🤥

𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁: Feel-good rom-com vibes with life, love, lobsters, and happily ever afters in a French castle 🪄

French Holiday is another fun rom com from Sarah Ready.

Merry has loved her best friend Leo for quite awhile, but he falls for her sister Angela. Between being a bridesmaid in their wedding and dealing with Noah, the best man, Merry has had enough and takes a trip to France. She is surprised to find Noah is staying at the same castle, but things quickly change between them. Their relationship certainly started off antagonistically, but the two of them soon find real friendship and feelings.

I really enjoyed this story. This book is on the longer side, but it was an easy and entertaining read. It made me wish I was planning a vacation of my own to the French Countryside!

Sarah takes on another adventure with amazing characters and beautiful scenery. She does an amazing job describing every detail so we can visualize the castle/surroundings while we are reading. Noah is on a mission to uncover information about his past. He’s traveled across the ocean to continue his search while staying in a quiet castle. Merry is having a heck of a time and needs a fresh start. An adventure across the ocean may be the perfect escape for her. Noah and Merry are initially like oil and water - there are misunderstandings, hidden truths and some secrets that need to be revealed. I really enjoyed their banter and how their friendship developed. The lobster scene is probably my favorite!! This is a fun, sweet and entertaining story that will give you all the feels.

Sparks fly between Merry and Noah!! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I’m happy to say Sarah Ready totally nailed it with this story!!!

Never a dull moment with this duo!! I think one of my favorite things about this book was that although it was an adventure, it also had so much depth! I could relate to these characters and that made me so much more invested in the story.

Beautiful crafted Sarah Ready!! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!!! I definitely recommend this book!!

3.5 stars rounded up because the mystery was a fun surprise! The first half of this book wasn’t bad but the second half was better. It was a bit slow and repetitive to start but I liked the characters, and the overall premise a lot. And considering how many common tropes were present, there was originality too. I enjoyed it.