A dilapidated French chateau (check), only one bed (check), no shower (check), no electricity (check), and add in two people who don’t get along but must share it, what could possibly go wrong? First Merry wakes up to a rat cuddling against her face and in the process of trying to escape the unexpected guest the bed gets demolished. Then she is attacked by a lobster, who is determined to not become dinner. Both of these scenes had me laughing out loud so much. Will Merry get her happily ever after? Read French Holiday to find out.
French Holiday was one of the best romantic comedies that I have ever read and I can’t wait to read more from this very talented author. I highly recommend this romantic gem to anyone who loves a good romance with some amazingly funny moments, that leave you waiting to see what other ridiculous situations the main character will find herself in next.

"French Holiday" is a delightful enemies-to-friends-to-lovers rom-com that checks all the right boxes for me. The forced proximity of Merry and Noah sharing a crumbling castle in the French countryside, combined with the classic one bed trope, creates the perfect setting for their relationship to evolve from snarky adversaries to unlikely allies to, eventually, something more.

The slow burn of their relationship was well-done and kept me eagerly turning the pages, rooting for Merry and Noah to realize their feelings for each other. And while there were moments when their banter and bickering felt a bit forced, overall it was a fun and engaging read that left me with a smile on my face.

If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers stories with plenty of witty dialogue, French pastries, and picturesque settings, then "French Holiday" is definitely worth checking out.

3.5 stars
This was a cute book, enemies to lovers and one bed. It starts out with Merry's sister, Angela, marrying the guy Merry has been best friends with and pining after (Leo). Merry doesn't like Leo's best man, Noah. Wedding is stressful, and she wakes up in his room before sneaking out.
Cue quarter life crisis where Merry quits her job and ends up at her godmother's chateau in France. And Noah is there. And it's a dump.
I liked Noah. I wish the book had been dual POV. Merry was a lot, and Angela was a mess. The book spent a lot of time on some mysteries related to the chateau, and I wish the relationship had developed sooner/earlier in the timeline of the book. It felt like they didn't get together until too close to the end.

This book is a romcom with enemies to lovers set in a French castle 😍

I’ll be honest, the first 30% of this book was s l o w… like I probably would have DFN if it wasn’t an ARC. But the last 70% was great! I got thoroughly invested in Merry and Noah as well as the mystery of Noah’s past.

Overall this story was a cute, funny love story with a happily ever after ending. If you enjoy romcoms you’ll probably like this one.

Thank you to the publisher @netgalley for a copy of this. I thought this was such a fun rom com with - forced proximity, one bed, enemies to lovers to a little bit of mystery. I love how the story started with Merry seeing her sister and her best friend getting married and having to walk the down the isle with Noah, someone Merry dislike. I really started loving the story once it was France and seeing Noah and Merry interact. The addition of Pierre and Camille brought a fun element to the story.

I was lucky enough to read this book months ago but now that the release date is close, I feel like reading it again. It's one of those books that sends you to a happy place, you know? 💜

-Charming French setting
- Banter and LOL moments
- Slow burn
- Lobster pet!!
- Forced proximity
- Surprising twists and Romance
- 4.5🌟

The story overall was such a delight! Absolutely charming, fun and heartwarming - and I kid you not, like I said, first thing I did when I finished it was to look for French destinations for a quick getaway. (It's still in the back of my mind and to do list for the year).

One of the most romantic and fun stories I have ever read. While the entire 'travel to a French chateau, find yourself and love' is the definition of a 'love story like in the movies', this has enough twists, humor and moments of laughing at how the story should unfold but how it actually does, that's hilarious, heartwarming and sweet.

Merry has this fantasy of how it would go: have a romantic get away in a fairytale-like castle, meet a French gentleman, have a whirlwind romance 'in soft focus with slow music in the background', live the true French experience with cute cobblestone streets, croisants, cheese and wine, flowy dresses and rosy cheeks. Pretty much what everyone would expect, right?

Wrong. The castle is not what it seemed in the pictures, the French gentleman is not the right love interest, the dates are disasters, nothing goes as planned, the frenemy is not really an enemy and true love is unexpected and anything but soft focus. It's awakening, deep, sizzling. 🥵

There were some moments here where i literally had to put the kindle aside and wipe my tears from laughing so hard. Pretty sure I will never see a lobster the same way again. And then there is Noah who is... everything she didn't know she wanted and more. As we don't have his POV, he gives off this aura of mystery, charm, strenght and too many layers to his personality to figure him out right away, of subtle actions hiding deeper meanings.

There is slow burn, there is passion, there is tension, banter and unexpected revelations. I loved it. You will love it. It's going to be the perfect summer vacation read and I can't wait to get a finished copy to feel again that french charm, wineyard smell and stone castle draft.

The banter, the slow burn, the tension, the revelations, the adventures, the mystery that was Noah, the charm, the little moments, it's all surprisingly perfect.

I loved it. Everyone will love it. It's going to be the perfect summer read! 💜

*thank you for the arc, all opinions are my own. Favorite quotes posted on my Instagram

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The French Holiday by Sarah Ready, is a cute enemies to lovers rom com set in France. I enjoyed the story and the characters, the author pulls you into the world easily.

Love love loved this book! At first I wasn’t convinced as I felt that this might be too fluffy for me but I fell in love as soon as Merry arrived at the chateau on lac D’Annecy! (Read that in french).

Everything was exactly how I like my romcoms- a down on her luck, vulnerable FMC, a broody, aloof MC, a potential love rival and amazingly described settings. You can tell the author put everything she could into her French research to give us an authentic French experience.

Our FMC was definitely a bit all over the place, I had some moments where I disliked her a little, I think she’s meant to come across as a cute, ditzy, endearing, unintentionally funny, desperate for that Hallmark movie love type of character which I can see might be too much for some readers, but she quickly grew on me and I didn’t mind it at the end!

I loved the deeper elements of this book, the imprint our parents leave on our life, and how we chose to understand them and manifest them into our own. I highlighted so many quotes that resonated with me and made me question how I can be better for my children hahah. Hmmm!

The romance was just so good, but it was similar in direction to other enemies to lovers trophy novels but for a sad reason, me thinks! But I didn’t care! I was there for it! The extra mystery angle was also a good addition to the story.

The writing was very lighthearted and fun! But deep and meaningful when needed. It’s Perfect lazy Sunday reading, where you wouldn’t mind escaping without leaving your comfy reading chair.


#FrenchHoliday #NetGalley Thank You, Sarah Ready. Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley

*4.5

This book was so fun and genuinely made me laugh a few times. Watching Merry slowly realize who Noah is deep down and truly fall in love with him was such a joy. All of the shenanigans that happened at the house were so funny and I want more of them. I kind of need a sequel to this where nothing bad happens, they are just together and happy the whole time.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, and Ms. Ready for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

A good word for this book is "cute." I think it was going for "charming" and frankly, it might have succeeded with most readers, but Merry (short for Meredith) veers waaaaaaay too close to my personal UNfavorite character type: the manic pixie dream girl™. She is ALL over the place. Frankly I don't see how any individual who thought she could succeed in a career in HR could be so scattered. Also, and this is once again personal, but the book pretty much lost me with the Rat Incident. WOW. (iykyk)

Seriously, though, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and sometimes it felt exhausting to read. I also STRONGLY disliked Angela and Leo at the end, and I'm glad that Merry did finally get enough courage to tell Angela the truth (although I don't think it will much matter). For me, Noah was by far the best part about the book.

Nonetheless, your mileage may vary, and I can see this being extremely popular with lots of readers. I did purchase a copy for my library and I anticipate it being a hit.

4.5/5*

This was definitely a cute read! An enemies to lovers/ forced proximity theme for this story Merry and Noah wind up staying in an old chateau in France for three months and during this time, feelings start to develop which also added the slow burn as well. These two were my favorites out of all the couples this author as written so far and probably the only side characters i liked was Jupiter and Pierre. Angela and Leo were okay up until towards the end while Camille did get on my nerves for awhile until she warmed up to me towards the end. All in all i do recommend this book if you’re into the enemies to lovers/ forced proximity/ slow burn tropes.

FRENCH HOLIDAY By Sarah Ready

Merry DeLuca has a problem—a big problem. Her sister just married her best friend and the only man she’s ever loved. Her life is rapidly spiraling down the drain and she doesn’t have an escape plan.
So when Merry is offered a three-month holiday living in a romantic castle in the French countryside she leaps at the chance. Merry knows her French holiday will fix everything—there will be mouthwatering pastries, delicious (meaningless) flirtations, and languid strolls through vineyards at sunset. Her holiday will be perfect.
At least, Merry believes that until she arrives and finds Noah Wright—the best man at her sister’s wedding and the worst man she’s ever known—staying in her castle.

😊What i liked -

✔ Enemies To Lovers/Vacation Romance/Grumpy-Sunshine/Rom-Com
✔ OMG i died laughing in this one. There is a long list of instances that were super funny which involved cucumber, rats, lobster, cockroaches and so on.
✔ Merry was such a relatable character, Always keeping everyone else (especially her sister) before her.
✔ Noah has the silent type swoon and sexiness.
✔ I absolutely love allllll the side characters in this. (okay not all but mostly all).
✔This book is a good combination of heartaches, laughs and spicy swoon.

Audiobook :

✔ I read this book while listening to the audiobook, and let me tell you I enjoyed the book more I think because of it.
✔ Kelsey Navarro's voice is a perfect fit for Merry's character.
✔ Kelsey managed to get Merry's emotions across so well and not only her's but of the side characters too. (it was an absolute pleasure to hear)

🤔What could have been better -

✔ I had a bit of a problem with Merry's sister's character. It felt like she was left off quite easily.

📚Who Should read :
👶Beginners
💝Romance Lover
💕Enemies To Lovers Romance
🏰Vacation Romance

📈My Rating : 4/5


Thank You, Sarah Ready. Swift & Lewis Publishing and Netgalley ,for a copy.

I think what Merry feel to Leo only crush not unrequited love, he is not the one that why she never confess her feeling. I like it how Merry understand Noah, how she able to cut through his armour. The mystery about Lady in the chateau give more flavour on this book. I enjoy Merry story.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#FrenchHoliday #SarahReady #SwiftandLewisPublishing #IndependentBookPublishersAssociation #IBPA #NetGalley #ARC

🏰A romantic castle adventure like you wouldn't believe!

Sarah Ready's French Holiday appealed to the young romantic in me that could so easily buy into the female lead's dreamy vision of revelling in an extended holiday in a French castle and potentially hooking a handsome Frenchman. She's built the story on a a solid base of whimsy, a mystery to solve, enough handsome men to get the heroine's hopes up and with loving descriptions of the locale and the food. The main event, though, is romance in the wake of unrequited love.

I loved the way Merry dealt with the unexpected decrepit aspects of her godmother's castle. It was a roughing it adventure that turned out so well thanks to her attitude. And some of the most humorous moments, like the battle with Louis the lobster, made me like Merry all the more. For me, Merry started out as the underdog and then really turned the tables.

Noah, the male lead, is a bit of a closed book initially because the story is told from Merry's point of view and Merry just has prejudices and assumptions about him. But when he slowly reveals what makes him tick: boy!, a guy with hidden depths of sadness and emotion in general. Just the right touch of angst to him for a perfect foil for Merry.

I found French Holiday a great escape read, mostly light and sweet, but with just enough wrinkles, angst and slow build up to some heat in the relationship.

Thanks to publishers W.W. Crown Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Like a beautiful chateau, a floaty dress, and wine that tastes like shooting stars, French Holiday is delightfully romantic, and just a little magical. Merry DeLuca is frank, stubborn, and absolutely charming. Noah Wright is grumpy, grating, and okay, yeah objectively gorgeous. But while the dream chateau her godmother promised she'd find turns out to be a little less that she'd expected, Merry finds that Noah might be much, much more. Merry and Noah's story was cute, if a little predictable, and the adventure they find themselves on is absolutely worth the ride.

this was super cute but it felt like a cheap knockoff of the un-honeymooners.

also i didn't realy get the whole twist thing about the artist dad. if the dad realy cared about the guy's mum so much, why was he with pierre's mum?????

when pierre arrived, it was low-key really funny.

the instant regret the guy must have felt - lol.

but i didn't think the guy liked her in the beginning because the behaviour was so questionnable.

REVIEW: French Holiday ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“At the end of your life it’s not what you did that makes you happy, it’s who you loved and who loved you” - Sarah Ready, French Holiday

This story was so freaking cute and charming! It has enemies to friends to lovers, close proximity, shared bed, slow burn, a pinch of spice, unrequited love, and many laughs along the way.

Merry (Meredith) hasn’t had the best luck. Full of unrequited love for her best friend, she now watches her sister getting married to him. Merry decides it is time for change and adventure so she leaves for a castle in France owned by her godmother. Well, Merry finds out it is going to be a bigger adventure than she bargained for because she is not alone when she gets there.

The characters are quite loveable and have great backstories to show us how they developed into who they are. The chemistry is so good and there were many times I said aww out loud. Of course, once you start reading a romance like this, you know where it will end, but the journey to that point was one I really enjoyed. I smiled and laughed throughout the story, and we even get a little bit of spice.

The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was a few of the subplots. Some of them kept going back and forth, while some I just had a hard time caring about.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it was just wanted I needed to read right now. This story brings so many warm feels and laughs that it is a perfect feel-good story. I’m very happy I picked this one up.

Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing and Netgalley for my ARC for an honest review!

4.5 Stars

This was a really fun read for me. For me, French Holiday is the epitome of a rom-com and Sarah Ready knows how to balance the heavier moments with the humor and romance you can expect from a rom-com.

After witnessing the love of her life marry her sister, Merry is given the perfect opportunity to run away from it all and spend three month living in a chateau on the French countryside. How could she possibly say no? What she didn't plan for was the aggravating best man at the wedding being there. And when both of them refuse to leave, they are going to have to find a way to live with each other. Calling a temporary truce seems like the only logical answer, but when a real friendship starts to develop it's hard to not care about the other person. And it might even make you with the holiday never ends, especially when that caring feels a little more like love each day.

I absolutely loved Noah in this book. He may have been a bit of a jerk at the start of the story, but I think it was honestly with the best intentions and also understandable given the situation. I love that he was never anything but honest with Merry, at least on the really important thing, he may have fibbed on one thing, but again understandable given the situation. I love the way their relationship developed throughout the story and I love the way they were there for and supported each other.

This was really fun read and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the following.

✔️ Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Only One Bed
✔️ Unrequited Love with a Twist
✔️ France
✔️ First Person Single POV

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

FRENCH HOLIDAY by Sarah Ready⁣
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My thanks to the author and publisher for a free. ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ⁣
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Honestly I didn’t think the cover of this book at all matched what was on the inside so I decided to make a fun little aesthetic reel!⁣
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Merry DeLuca has been in love with her best friend Leo for years, so you can imagine her pain watching him marry her sister after a whirlwind romance. She needs to get away so her godmother offers her the use of a tumbledown French chateau to regroup. The problem is that she has also offered said chateau to the best man, Noah Wright, a travel documentarian with whom Merry had an awkward one night stand with. Oh, and There’s Only One Bed. ⁣
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So far, so predictable, but I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the second half of this book. There’s mystery, genre savvy Gothic romance references, a tale of lost love and art and beauty. I found Noah’s backstory really touching and I enjoyed watching the secondary romances bloom. ⁣
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My main gripe is it did feel like the author has never been to France 😅 Pierre Thierry and Camille Petit are the world’s laziest French names, and what is that lobster doing so far from the sea?! I also think 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 in this book got married way too dang fast. But I guess that’s on romance.
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#books #bookstagram #frenchholiday #sarahready #bookaesthetic #romance #netgalley

I found French Holiday to be very enjoyable. the characters are cute. The banter is entertaining. There aren’t any scenes with unbearable embarrassment or outrageous behaviors. It felt like a cute Hallmark movie with just a bit of mystery.