This book had it all for me and that was it. I had to read this to see what it was all about. I was not disappointed and enjoyed the content. Enjoyed this book. I want to find more of her books.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
TW: Mention of Cancer
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️[4/5]
Spice: Open Door (Minimal Spice)
Review written by: M
*Thank you NetGalley & Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the Audio & E-Book of this ARC*

Plot:
Merry DeLuca’s life was falling apart, and she needed to get away. The perfect opportunity comes when her Godmother offers her a 3-month stay at her Romantic Castle in France. Merry envisions how her epic movie moments in France will play out, but they come crashing down quickly when she realizes that Noah Wright is also staying at the Castle. Noah is the worst man she has ever met, Mr. Grumpy, a jerk, and just plain arrogant. Being stuck in a castle together, with no other viable options, they strike a truce. You stay out of my way, and I will stay out of yours! But that never truly works out does it, especially when there is only one bed?

Thoughts: 
If you are a sucker for a slow burn romance with Enemies-to-lovers, grumpy vs sunshine, & one bed tropes? Then this book has every ingredient in your checklist. I went into this book with no expectations since it was my first time reading a Sarah Ready book and I have to say I LOVED it! It was the perfect cozy romance read that just gives you fairy-tale feels. This book can easily be picked up by Netflix. There are quite a few tropes checked off in this book (a few more than mentioned above). That would have usually annoyed me causing me to just become overwhelmed and DNF a book, but here it just worked.
 
This book had a LOT going on all, various plot branches throughout making it land more on the “unrealistic” spectrum of things, but what cute, comfy read doesn’t benefit from some over the top unrealism. Be warned, if this is something that you do not like in books, this may not be it for you.
 
I do have an honorable mention. Louis/Louise is MVP! By far my favorite character of the entire book. I laughed so hard with Louis and I could vividly just picture the chaos. It was cute, it was funny & I loved it.
 
The descriptions of the French landscapes had my fingers itching to purchase a ticket to France and finish reading this book at a cute cafe sipping a cup of coffee with my chocolate croissant. We have all been there, dreaming of our French getaway and the epic movie romance and this just spoke to the hopeless romantic in me. I loved the Emily in Paris vibes I got from this book. Now excuse me while I go binge Emily in Paris and continue my Duolingo French lessons to be ready for when I end up in on my own French Holiday.

When two enemies are forced to face each other on a holiday of a lifetime could things go wrong?
There is so much to uncover for Noah and Merry that maybe making a truce won’t stop what needs to come to surface! Love love love this book!!!

<i>3.5/5</i>


I REALLY liked this, the narrator was amazing, and although in the beginning I wasn’t sure I would, I ended up liking Merry. I also liked Noah.

I loved Camille and Pierre’s story too, I admit when I thought Camille liked Noah I kind of hated her..

But I did really like this, thank you Netgalley for an arc!!

-

<i> rtc and thank you netgalley!!</i>


I got an arc from netgalley!! I’ve read A LOT of sarah ready’s books but I wouldn’t say I’m a fan, let’s see if this one changes my mind bc I actually like this way more alr

3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Initial Thoughts
I enjoy the way Sarah Ready shares her romances with a lot of fun dialogue and good character growth, and French Holiday is a great little read that had me laughing, crying and invested from the very beginning.

What's great about this book?
- The storyline is really fun. Merry, after facing the worst few days of her life both personally and professionally, takes up her Godmother's offer to escape New York and go stay in her Chateau for three months. Merry, convinced that the magic she's been looking for all her life will be in France, in the form of a hot French man and copious cheese and bread options, finds herself in the worst situation possible upon arrival at Annecy - the chateau is in ruins, and she has to share it with Noah Wright, her friend/crush turned brother-in-law's best man. I loved how she navigated the ups and downs of French living and recovery with Noah. The humour is done well, and whilst predictably cliché, the story is engaging and has just the right level of lightheartedness and thoughtful passages that I need in a romance.
- The progression of the romance is done well. Even with the surrounding pressures of potential French lovers, and Noah's inability to tell her straight if he likes her or not, Merry and Noah slowly fall in love with one another, and Merry gets to find the magic she sought out from a very different experience. I liked that there was a decision to try and be friends after the misunderstandings they had that led to them both thinking the other didn't like them initially. There was plenty of character growth that enabled the romance to feel full and satisfying. I also appreciated Merry's time spent experimenting with how to find love. She's spent so much of her life offering herself up to her sister and everyone else, that her inability to know what she needed at times was endearing. Her worries over falling for Noah after struggling with the perfect ideals of romance and an unsuitable crush were relatable and well-explored.
- The side story of Noah's research was done well. I read reviews that weren't happy with some elements, and whilst I feel like the whole dark and deadly secret aspect was a weak plot device, I like that Ready didn't waste time in allowing Noah to explain his side of the story when Merry asked it of him. The approach was maturely done and reflected their adult ages well. I liked this a lot.
- Both Merry and Noah have faced some troubling experiences in their lives, and I liked that we got to see Merry opening up about the pain from her parents and sister with Noah. It was cathartic for the character and the reader.
- I loved what Pierre and Camille offered to the book as side characters. They were delightful and I was so glad their storyline went as it did.

Things I didn't quite enjoy
- The last portion of the book really let the rest down for me. The whole interference with Merry's sister and Leo felt cheap compared to the rest of the storyline. Whilst it was good that Merry shut both of them down immediately, it was an unnecessary drama that hurt the progression of the book.
- I'm not fond of the way the book ended. Whilst it was a very clever full-circle moment and makes sense, the timeframe it happened in was a bit rushed. After judging her sister for rushing, it felt almost comical for a similar situation with Merry and Noah.

Final thoughts
Despite the things I didn't enjoy hurting the overall star rating, I did enjoy this book. Sarah Ready is a solid contender for a good romance that balances personal growth, humour, and important messages well. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Boring read, full of poorly constructed clichés and shallow and poorly crafted characters. It was a sacrilege to finish it and I just didn't DNF because I had to discover the mystery about Thomas Arnout (seriously? even that mystery was predictable, but what can you do).

First, Merry is a character with no personality at all, silly, futile, she has nothing good about her. Noah is a nice guy, but within this boring story he ended up losing some of his shine. All other characters are terrible, cliche caricatures and totally unrealistic.

Not to mention that some dialogues are pretty random. In one chapter, Merry is all in love with her best friend, then she hates Noah, then she goes back and thinks he's actually a nice guy, then suddenly hates him, then likes him once more... GIRL? Decide where you stand with this man 'cause you're insanely inconsistent. Then she finally decides that she likes Noah and doesn't love her best friend anymore, okay, alright. They stay in this back-and-forth sorta thing and nothing really happens. Then the mystery of the castle happens, the missing painter, yada yada yada and that's what kept me going until the end because this story is a frightening mess. A thousand things happen, a thousand plot twists happen, out of nowhere the best friend who married her sister goes after her, tries to kiss her ??? because he had a fight with his wife and then after some barely there conversation he decides to continue with his wife. OH MY GOD? what madness is this? The author weighed her hand in this one and put all possible situations to finish this book, when you think it's over she goes and adds something else, geez.

All this to end up with them getting married and living happily ever after in France. Seriously? Did you need all that drama for this? And I don't even talk about how Noah's probably blind because this Merry is so silly and has nothing interesting about her. Anyway, boring and over-the-top, total waste of time.

4 stars - I really enjoyed this book and it had me smiling so much! Merry was a delight from the beginning and Noah very quickly becomes someone you are rooting for and very interested in. I love an enemies to (friends to) lovers and the fact this also included forced proximity in the wonderful backdrop of the French countryside was amazing. Such a lovely read, so picturesque and cute. And the one bed trope!! Always a win.

I loved how the relationship progressed between Merry and Noah, how they build a friendship and then all that lingering tension comes in and eventually bubbles over. The pacing of the plot and their relationship was really well written and felt like a very natural development,

Both Merry and Noah are really likeable characters and their banter and dialogue with one another was a big highlight of the story. I also really enjoyed the slight mystery element and the vulnerability the characters end up showing with each other. It might not be obvious at first but they really are perfect for each other and you can't stop longing for them to just get together. I also really liked their neighbours and that there is a cute resolution for the story of side characters too! Jupiter was a fantastic comedic addition.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC, I really enjoyed reading French Holiday.

Steam level - 🌶🌶.5

This book was a meh for me, it was a typical enemies to lovers, well that really lovers, Because they secretly like each other, I hated every single character, the writing was good and the mystery was fun to read.

Thanks to netgalley and the author for an eARC in exchange of a honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, I received this as an ARC. I really enjoyed this book!! A cute romance with a great subplot of mystery. I found this romance to be believable in the speed they went from disliking each other to being together. I was very invested in the characters and story throughout. The setting was also magical and I felt like I was there with the characters.

3.5 stars
Merry runs away to her godmother’s French house to escape a complicated reality. She arrives to discover that the house was also rented at the same time to Noah, a one-night stand from her sister’s wedding with whom she’s shared some drama in the past. How is this going to work out? I really wanted to love this book but
I felt that it had some unnecessary drama and attempted humor (I’m looking at you, Louis the lobster!) that didn’t quite work for me. I would have loved it so much more if the development of the chemistry between Merry and Noah had been more of the focus instead of the sideline.
Shout out to Kelsey Navarro for a great job narrating!!
*Thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for the advance audiobook copy for review.

This book unfolded so beautifully. I was pleasantly surprised and so happy I stumbled upon it. I genuinely laughed multiple times while reading it but it still tugged at your heart strings.

There was nothing that grabbed my attention about this romance. As the narrative unfolds, we are made to believe that we are in a beautiful French holiday spot, until we discover the castle where Merry DeLuca escaped to get over a guy who ended up with her sister, which was desolate and roach-infested and did not appeal to me at all. It was easy for me to connect with Merry. Her sister's best man at her wedding was Noah, a travel writer. Since neither of them wants to leave the castle, the process becomes very close. Noah and Merry's friendships did not resonate with me. Merry and Noah found love and friendship. For me, this is a terrible setting for a destination romance.

Thank you Swift and Lewis Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was an honest review

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

This book kept bouncing between 3 and 4 ⭐️ for me. The story is cute and definitely a fun escape read! There are interesting characters, beautifully depicted scenery, and a few plots that kept me really engaged.

I do wish, however, that a few things were tweaked so that they didn’t become the distractions they were. For starters, her sister got engaged to her BFF after 1 day. A few weeks would still have been “fast”, while seeing more plausible. The other has to do with the chateau. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that I was so distracted by the description of the living quarters that it took away from the storyline. I kept going back to, “how is that even possible?!” Oh, and I would like a dollar for every time the word “sardonic” is used. It would certainly pay for a venti Starbucks 😂

That being said, the author really can write and I look forward to more books from her!

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I thought the characters were well written, however, there wasn’t anything too memorable about them. I was never able to feel fully get invested in Merry's character, however, I really liked Noah’s story. The side characters didn’t do anything for me. The writing was okay. The little mystery at the end kept me intrigued. By the end I was invested in Merry and Noah’s relationship and the plot was able to keep me hooked. Overall, it wasn’t a bad story. If you’re looking for a quick/light read you should give this one a try.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This was a quick read with a nice love story. I liked the descriptions of France, and it made me want to sit at an outdoor cafe eating french food and sipping coffee. Overall though, this book wasn't for me. I didn't feel invested in the characters, and I thought there were too many storylines going on. I would have liked if the book was just about Merry and Noah and their love story (without the Angela, Leo, finding his father, "murder" sub plots).

French Holiday is the new book by Sarah Ready. This was my first experience reading Ready's writing and I really enjoyed it!

Merry has spent most of her adult life pining for her best friend, Leo. Unfortunately, Leo is engaged to Merry's sister. At the wedding weekend, Merry wakes up the next morning in bed with Leo's best man, Noah and not a whole lot of memory regarding what happened. Merry flees to France and the opportunity to stay in a castle and figure out her life for three months. When she arrives, the castle and company were not what she was expecting. Noah is a documentarian and will also be staying at the castle. They must learn to coexist for the three months and then go their separate ways forever.

This book was so fun! I could relate with Merry's character. She's a people pleaser. It's easier for her to give into her sister than make a fuss. Her and Noah's relationship was so refreshing. I liked their honest banter and how they became friends first. The writing had the perfect amount of comedy and romance. The scenes with the lobster were so slapstick yet funny I found myself laughing out loud. I didn't really need a couple of tidbits at the end but it didn't take away from the overall enjoyability. The secondary characters also had depth and a redeeming arc by the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this book, more to it than an enemies to friends chick lit story, Merry and Noah are great characters and the storyline is good. Excellent choice to pack in your holiday suitcase this summer!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishing house for sending and allowing me to read this novel. I absolutely loved this, its the type of book I'm looking for when I want to read romance. The cover is so pretty its what drawled me in. I really really recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley & Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC!

Full disclosure: almost stopped reading this one a few chapters in. I wasn’t sure I could do a pining-after-my-sisters-new-husband-woe-is-me type of a book. Still don’t think I could. Which is fine because this was NOT that.

Once Merry set foot in France, I. Was. Hooked. From the Chateau to Noah to the artists and missing mother and ghost and allergy and Camille and Pierre…it read like a lovable rom com. And one I would love to watch.

This book opens with Merry at the wedding of her sister Angela and Leo, the secret, unrequited, love of her life. She’s kept her devastation quiet, but Leo’s best man, and her nemesis, Noah sure noticed and called her out on it.
What follows is the worst work week of her life, and leads her to quit. To top it off the happy couple announce their pregnancy by asking her to be godmother
All this and she hits a wall, calls her own godmother for advice. Jupiter offers up temporary use of her own ‘flight plan’, a castle she owns in France. Of course she fails to mention that she had already rented out the place to Noah, so he could write and research for his travel show. After fruitless arguing, they agree to share the mostly unfurnished and surprising dilapidated chateau.

It’s a castle but it’s been basically abandoned to the creepy crawlers and disrepair for who knows how long. No electricity, little water, and a single bed that’s seen better days. In reality all this would be horrifying, but as fiction? Kind of a riot.

On the less funny side, Merry’s family is quite awful. I kept trying to give her sister the benefit of the doubt, that she’s just oblivious, but she was continuously infuriating. I mentally subtitled this book ‘unrequited love and the audacity of some people’

There’s also a very emotional subplot, about searching for love from family, that really hit me in the feelings.