this was so cute!!! i love the enemies to lovers vibes and the smut was serving to be so honest.
it gave me all the butterflies and while there are more serious matters at hand in this story, it never took away from the swoon worthy romance it delivered

also the side characters stole my heart, i love them dearly

I thought this was very cute. Unrequited love sends Merry off to the French countryside [what a dreammmmmm] but life catches up a bit as she tries to run away. There are some suspensions of belief here required to fully invest in the story, mostly around living in a decrepit chateau, but overall I found this interesting, compelling and a fun tromp through France. Angela is honestly a total bear, and I would have liked a bit more resolution/confrontation between her and Merry. You can't just be red-biking everything, Angela!!! Also I don't know who we can chalk up to being the original grump in literature, but caffeine-deprived Noah was swoony as hell. WAS THE ORIGINAL GRUMP MR. DARCY?!?!?!? Plz advise.

4 stars for a grand time. I'd definitely read this author again and am currently scanning the libary catalog. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute romance story about two enemies to friends to lovers. Merry DeLuca and her enemy Noah Wright end up stuck in the same crumbling French chateau. I enjoyed the French scenery, and the story started breezy and fun. However, I'm giving it 3 stars because halfway through, it takes a darker turn and becomes more of a mystery than a romance. I found the subplot distracting and unnecessary. I feel like the friendship to romance and forced proximity of the characters would have been enough to keep any reader interested. Another aspect of this book that I found VERY distracting, was the verbose descriptions of the food. I am not a foody and found the lengthy descriptions contrived and boring.

Regardless, it is a worthwhile read for any fans of the French countryside and fans of French food.

Thank you to Swift and Lewis Publishing for my ARC!

This book had so much potential with a good premise and likable characters, It unfortunately got bogged down in too many side stories and too many pages for a romance. I also had trouble trying to figure out if this was supposed to be a contemporary romance or a romcom. At times, I felt like this book was written by two different people.

Merry is in love with her best friend Leo but Leo has fallen for Merry's sister Angela. Merry jets off to her godmother's French Chateau to find herself and start anew after the wedding and a drunken night spent with the best man Noah only to find out that Noah is staying at the Chateau too. It's a great premise but as I said, this book has too many side stories that clutter it up... especially the not very funny escape with Louis the Lobster.

I would have love to have cleared the clutter and focused on Merry and Noah with the secondary story on Noah's research in France.

This was a very light and fun read. I really liked the characters and the plot was very fun and interesting to read about. It was sort of like a mystery and they were trying to solve it.

Merry has been in love with her best friend Leo forever, so when she finds out he’s getting engaged to her sister she decides to go on a vacation to get her mind off things and find her happiness. Unfortunately once she arrives at the mansion she finds a man also staying there. Noah Wright, Leo’s best friend, who isn’t a big fan of Merry. He’s staying in France to do some research while she’s here to hopefully find the love of her life. They’ve always disliked each other but decides to stay together as long as they don’t cross paths with each other. Of course that doesn’t work out because there’s only one bed and creatures living there…

I really enjoyed watching Merry and Noah work together to solve the mystery. The joking, the banter was very entertaining and had me laughing at times. Although, I do wish there was a little more romance so I could’ve watched the love unfold between them. They liked each other but I didn’t get the impression that it was anything more :( Overall I did love their friendship, it was sweet and light. The side characters were very much my favorite. Camille and Pierre had such fun personalities and it was nice seeing them spend time with each other.

The reason I didn’t give this book a higher rating is because some parts of the book were really cringe and unnecessary long to me. Especially when Merry was interpreting Noah’s feelings the wrong way, even though he didn’t give the impression that it was anything more between them. Towards the end he claims that it was always more to him but I wish he showed it more through his actions or words. If I was Merry I also would’ve been confused.

Around 50% it felt like the story was dragging a little bit. Not much was happening and I was losing interest. But I kept going and it definitely got better by the 70% mark. If you want a short cute read definitely pick this up.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Shout out to Swift Lewis Publishing for this ARC and the opportunity to discover Sarah Ready’s French Holiday!
I am giving this one four stars, because it was a super fun journey. While the plot and romance didn’t always deliver, I really liked the premise and I enjoyed Sarah’s writing style. This book is the epitome of a quick and light summer read.

It all begins when Merry is at her sister’s wedding… where her sister is marrying Merry’s true love Leo, and Merry is unfortunately stuck spending the day with the best man Noah. Shenanigans ensue and Merry decides she needs to hop off to France to recalibrate her life. (Good for her, escaping reality in France is the BEST plan.) When she arrives at her (fairy?) godmother’s French castle in Annecy, *surprise* there is Noah.

This book was fun, silly, and sweet. While I hoped for a super steamy romance.. I found the writing of the eventual spice…. a bit cringey. Other than that, here were too many characters in the book to give them the time they deserved. Some relationships seemed superficial, like the hot and cold nature of the main relationship, and her initial love for Leo which was never substantiated (if you’re going to obsess give me some reasons to go on this ride with you!).

Overall, I recommend this book for an easy, breezy day on the beach. Don’t forget the French rosé!

I have read only one novel by Sarah Ready before, and found it to be a sweet romantic comedy (Josh and Gemma make a baby). So, I was excited to see this ARC available on Netgalley and snapped it up. I was not disappointed!

We first meet Merry DeLuca at her kid sister Angela's wedding to Merry's best friend, Leo (whom she has secretly loved, but never had the courage to make a move on). Turns out that her love isn't quite so secret - Noah, the best man (well, not according to Merry) is fully aware of her feelings.

Post-wedding, Merry gets back to her life and quickly realises she doesn't like her job very much and quits. She jumps at the chance to spend a few months at a French chateau, reevaluating and regrouping. And of course, who should be there, but Noah, the irritatingly handsome truth-teller from her sister's wedding.

The two of them slowly strike a truce, which turns into friendship and then into love. Everything happens quite quickly, with a couple of quirky French characters thrown in, and some hijinks and LOL moments (oh God...Louis(e) - I will leave you to find out more on the page).

All in all, this is a frothy low-angst read, that made me laugh and made me root for the main characters.

After a 5-month-long book slump, I am so glad to find my luck has turned. This is the 4th romance novel in a row that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading in the past few weeks.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ARC. This did not influence my review.

I need to go to France. Merry made it seem so wonderful. The wine, the food, the small towns and vineyards. The men. Getting away after leaving her job, seeing her love marry her sister, and meeting and ditching Noah. Wouldn't you know it Noah is there. Staying at the same Castle. Together, they find what they really want. Thank you, NetGalley! I loved this ARC.

This was a really fun book to read. It felt like an escape from reality and into a romantic comedy movie, my favorite kind.

Who knew enemies could turn out to be the best kind of lovers? Merry and Noah definitely worked for it but I'd say it was more than worth it in the end.

Plop in a few locals to mix things up and you almost have a party. Don't forget the almost falling apart castle with its varied inhabitants.

Who doesn't need a rogue lobster to really make you laugh and ultimately fall in love with.

This entire book made me smile and I'm happy in the end that Noah had his questions answered and he found his love.

A crumbling french chateau, a fairy godmother, a vengeful lobster, and a brooding leading man with a secret. One of my favorite reads of the year so far!

French Holiday far exceeded my expectations. The dreamy, whimsical setting of a small countryside town in France. The rugged, lived-in, possibly haunted chateau. The gothic romance-worthy love interest. Put all of these together, and you have the ideal romantic escapism packaged in a novel.

The humor in French Holiday is SO WELL WRITTEN! I was smiling, I was giggling, I was rooting for Louis the Lobster.

The mystery, although not the crux of the entire plot, was intriguing and was a welcome addition to flesh out the characters beyond their romantic aspirations.

I’m also happy to report that there is not an unnecessary third act breakup, and the characters communicate well (for the most part). The pillars of a good romance novel, in my opinion.

Save this book for a warm spring day, lay out in the sun, and enjoy. This is definitely read in one sitting worthy, so plan for that (I made the mistake of having a job, so I spent my entire workday dying to read more).

On a separate note from the story, I’ve gotta say it — this book deserves a better cover! This plain cartoon cover is giving “cheesy so-so decently written romance.” The well written, dreamy, whimsical and sometimes mysterious romance does not come through at all in this cover!

Such a great progression of Merry and Noah's relationship. A few parts felt a little unrealistic (like Leo and Angela's engagement), the overall story continued to get better as it went on. By the end I was caught up in the romance and loved the way Noah's story came together.

This was a really sweet book! Merry and her sometimes antagonist and sometimes love interest Noah have great chemistry. The setting of a crumbling chateau in the gorgeous French countryside worked so well for their story. There was also a little bit of mystery thrown into the mix. I read this partially on ebook and audio.

French Holiday by Sarah Ready is a totally wonderful book filled with unrequited love, found love, different types of love and a crumbling castle in France along with a little mystery and magic. This story has humor and unexpected surprises that will keep readers completely engaged. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommended.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this! Set in paradise, rats and all, with a little mystery, and a slow burn romance, it's a wonderful novel.
The relationships are real, and the characters are lovely. Even Louie...
Was a lovely HEA.

After a disastrous few weeks, Merry is saying au revoir to New York City and bonjour to France. More importantly, saying bonjour to a French castle bestowed to her by her (fairy) godmother. The only problem? Her nemesis is also staying there. What could possibly happen between the two of them within these castle walls, not to mention the French countryside?

This was so cute. I felt for Merry especially in the first chapters. She just couldn't seem to catch a break from life. Then in comes Noah, her best friend's groomsman. After a somewhat misunderstanding, they start to room with one another. Normally, I don't particularly care about enemies to lovers, but this was so good. I loved their banter and how we got to see how these characters grew from the first page to the last page. My heart ached for Noah as I read further in the book and Merry, when she realized as time went on, what she wanted. The descriptions made me feel like I was actually there with Merry and Noah and the friends they made along the way.

If I had one complaint, it did lean a little too much into the rom-com tropes. I'm not one for all the tropes and I felt that sometimes they were a bit much, but it didn't detract from the story for me. Overall, an excellent weekend read to simply get away for a little bit.

Thank you Swift and Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Where have I been that I have never read a Sarah Ready book? I just finished French Holiday and I must tell you that I laughed out loud so many times throughout this book! This story was hilarious, but it had some serious parts too. Merry DeLuca is in love with her best friend, Leo, but he is marrying her beautiful, little sister, Angela. Merry has always taken care of Angela and given her anything that Angela wanted. And Angela wanted a lot of what Merry had.

After the wedding, Merry is feeling low and her bohemian godmother gives her the gift of a three month stay in her old French chateau. Merry takes this as a sign to restart and rebuild her life. Unfortunately, upon her arrival, she finds her nemesis, Noah Wright, is already staying at the chateau. Noah is Leo’s best friend, and he has hated Merry ever since he met her no matter how hard she tried to make friends with him. Merry doesn’t understand it, but she finally gives up and returns the feeling.

They get off to a bad start at the chateau but agree to both stay and avoid each other as much as possible. You are probably thinking it doesn’t sound so funny so far, right? Well, coming up are three of the funniest situations you will ever experience involving a cucumber, a “kitty” and a lobster dinner. Yes, you heard that right. Trust me.

As time progresses, Merry and Noah start to become friends, but Noah has secrets and when Merry starts to feel more she needs to know what they are. Noah also is feeling more, but is Merry over Leo?

This is a wonderful book full of laughter, fun, sweetness, compassion, and love. Many thanks to the publisher, Swift and Lewis Publishing, and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it in exchange for my honest opinion. I gave it four stars!

💕 ARC REVIEW 💕
French Holiday by Sarah Ready

This book deserves all 5 ⭐️ and would honestly give it 10 if I could!

Description:
Merry’s best friend and the man she has been in love with for years is marrying her sister. Following the wedding, she decides that she needs an escape plan to get out of her everyday life and get over him once and for all! But, fate has a different plan for her and once she arrives at her god-mothers French Rivera chateau she is faced with Noah. The man that she hates and supposedly hates her. Will they survive the next 3 months living under the same roof?

My thoughts:
I absolutely loved every second of this! Merry is such a fun and independent and ridiculous character. She is relatable and kind and someone you could easily have a good time with!
Noah is the perfect mix of mysterious and intriguing. A strong character that you quickly fall in love with!

I constantly laughed through this book and felt like I could easily be Merry with all the things that happen to her in the castle! Louis, I’m looking at you! And I’m pretty sure we can all agree that bugs are a big no.

Overall, I would gladly reread this and I cannot wait for it to come out so I can add it to my shelf!

Thank you Swift and Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I quite enjoyed French Holiday by Sarah Ready. The concept is simple - after her longtime crush Leo marries her sister Angela, Merry DeLuca quits her job and takes her godmother Jupiter up on her offer to stay in a French chateau, sort of a "flight plan" for three months. There's only one issue: Jupiter also leased the place to Noah Wright, a travel documentarian, Leo's best friend, and Merry's enemy. Well, and the other issue: there's only one habitable bedroom and one bed.

Slowly, Merry and Noah open up to each other (as they see it, the stakes are low since they don't like each other and will be strangers again soon enough), But the more they get to know each other, the closer they become. And when Merry starts to help Noah on the secret mission he's come to France for, their hatred turns to friendship and then more.

As with any sweet romance novel, there's some cheesiness at play. But this one stood above for me since there was no classic third act breakup - the point of this book was to see two people open up about their vulnerabilities and work together to heal some long-seeded personal trauma. Any miscommunications were far in the past and easily resolved. I felt like Merry and Noah were compatible as written, and even the expedited timeline of their romance felt as authentic as one can in a book like this. Some plot points felt a little unrealistic to me, but I finished the book feeling happy, and that's always the goal.

Highly recommend for anyone looking for a sweet and not too saccharine read. Some open door steam, although not too spicy or graphic. Gorgeous descriptions of France and the food. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Josh and Gemma make a baby is one of my favorite books! I was very excited to see that Sarah came out with a new book.
This book did not disappoint. I thought the M.C. had fantastic character growth throughout the book and I felt myself relating to the M.C. at some points. Overall, it was very cute and funny. I found myself laughing out loud many times.
One aspect of the book that I did not like, was the MC's sister. I found her quite annoying and frustrating at times. I thought the advice that she would give the MC made me roll my eyes a few times.

I will definitely be rereading this when I need a lighthearted rom-com.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing for an arc

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishers LLC for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I 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