French Holiday is a wonderful contemporary comedy novel written by Sarah Ready.
Where the maid of honor and best man at a family wedding end up in France on a three month holiday in a rustic, yet beautiful crumbling castle. Let the merriment begin!
This book was perfect to intrigue my mind with the intrepid characters and delightful teasing dialogue. The love scenes were not graphic, but described titteringly perfectly.
This storyline was woven beautifully and meaningfully with a satisfying ending
Perfect for a Lifetime Movie. I’d watch it.

Sarah Ready’s latest novel French Holiday was a great combination of a laugh out loud comedy, romance, and mystery.

After watching the man she loves walk down the aisle with her sister, Merry is certain she needs an escape. So when she’s offered a chance to stay in a French chateau, she knows she can’t turn it down!

When she arrives, she’s floored by the natural beauty of France and the stunning chateau with five turrets. It all feels like a dream come true, until her one night stand groomsman Noah shows up. She accosts him with a cucumber and this was already after I had laughed aloud at least four times.

I should warn that not everything in this book is lighthearted. There’s a great deal of loss explored in the book, which only enhanced the romance for me. However, I wanted to put the warning out there.

Merry has a bit of Amelia Bedelia in her. She just has some unfortunate luck at times that has such great comedic effect. I listened to most of the book thanks to @PRHaudio and the narrator was fantastic. I did also read some of it on my kindle, but I highly recommend the audio! I love when books make me laugh and smile as I read.

I have never read a book by Sarah Ready before. I feel lucky to now read through the rest of her novels!

I requested to read and review this book for free from Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC. This book will have laughing, possibly some tears, some angry moments. The story line has romance, mystery and some drama. Is love at first sight a thing or is it just lust? How do you know if you are meant to be with someone? Merry is girl that has always put everyone else needs first when is she going to decide her needs come first? Noah has a hard time trusting due to things out of control. Can these two find happily ever after? Will it be with each other or with their neighbors? Can what you dream up be reality? This book is for a mature reader and can be read anywhere.

I really enjoyed this romantic comedy, there were a few moments in the beginning that I didn't sit well, as explained below, but once the story moved to the main setting in France, I was hooked. I really enjoyed the blossoming friendship/relationship between Merry and Noah and how Merry’s opinion of Noah changed after spending more time together. I really liked the discussions about the different kinds of love, and how relationships with parents can affect a relationship later in life. I liked the mystery of Noah’s past and the setting was super swoon-worthy, it made me want to book a flight to France.

The beginning of this book was a rather rough start for me, with the author using insults like demented and schizophrenic - it just pulled me out of the story and I think there are better insults to use than these two mental illness/illness related ones. The second being the timeline of the sister’s pregnancy didn’t really make sense, she knew she was pregnant after 2 weeks?

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
Your classic summer Romance. A chateau in the countryside of Annecy, France, filled with good food, wine and handsome men. The perfect combination. I loved that there was a deeper layer behind Noah. Which really added to the story. You could feel the spark between their denial. It is quite a slow burn and it could have easily been a lot shorter than the 450 pages. I felt like more could have happened and it was too quickly wrapped up. But overal a really enjoyable read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short chapters
French Chateau
Confined space Romance
Character built

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
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. 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.

𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩.

Where to begin? This book was great! I adored our two main characters and the slow burn, building relationship they had. The landscape and foodie details we received as they wandered around the French countryside was brilliant. I was also very impressed with the author’s writing style. You’ll get hooked and read in a few days, easy. There were several parts I actually laughed out loud because it was so funny (the rat, lobster, and dye incidents to be specific). Typically the books I end up ranking as “5 star” have the perfect blend of heart warming, humor, a little angst, and sweet romance all wrapped up in a nice little package… This book was it. I will most definitely be reading her other books!

“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.”

Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was adorable; a very easy, quick romcom that was actually funny (rare, I feel.) I loved the characters I was supposed to love and despised the ones I wasn't. I loved the character development of Noah. The setting was divine.... It was amazing. Highly recommend.

Merry is in love with her best friend, who also just so happens to be marrying her sister, and hates his best friend, who she ends up having to live in a crumbling French chateau with for three months. I think you can guess what happens…

I loved the writing style of this book, it was super easy to read with a quick, punchy writing style and short chapters that kept the page turning.

There were fantastic, crazy side characters, an underlying mystery, a hilarious incident with a lobster and overall love, in all its many nuances.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I haven’t read the Josh and Gemma books by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I absolutely loved it. Merry, after seeing her unrequited love Leo marry her sister and quitting her job, escapes to her godmother’s chateau in France for three months for some alone time to get over Leo. A dream right?! Until she sees her nemesis Noah staying at the chateau as well.

It’s a sweet romcom with enemies to lovers and close proximity tropes. It was funny (the lobster!) but also dealt with the heaviness of childhood family issues. This book had me hooked until the end, dreaming about spending time in the French countryside with a baguette and fresh cheese. Je suis amoureux!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a really fun read.

A huge Thank You to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for my advanced e-book and audio copy of French Holiday!

What I Enjoyed-

✨The Cover Art- Super Cute. The cover art really caught my attention first and then I realized it was Sarah Ready. It's all I really needed to know before diving in.

✨ The Audio- Kelsey Navarro was frickin fantastic.

✨ The Entertainment Factor- I am here for the drama 🤣. This book was so entertaining. I was never bored.

Why This Book Lost a Star 🌟

The Romance- The Romance wasn't BAD but the progression of the relationship was just unrealistic to me.

Overall- This was a great read / listen. This is my third Sarah Ready book and every single one has been a hit. I can't wait to read whatever she decides to release next. ❤

Quite a fun story that has some interesting twists and turns. One of the few female romance protagonists that I actually really enjoyed. Loved the setting of a French chateau too. One of those books that you can enjoy without having to think too much.

I loved this book so much because it is nonstop hilarious! I read rom com all the time, but it I have never read one that had me laugh almost the whole book or so hard that I cried. My boyfriend kept giving me weird looks and asking me what was so funny and normally he does not ask me questions about the book I am reading.

The start of the book is a little sad because it starts out with Merry's sister Angela (who I cannot stand and if she was my sister, I would have probably punched her over the red bike) marrying Leo who is Merry's best friend/love of her life (so she thinks). Once we get to the reception it picks up and starts to be funny especially when Merry gets to France. Noah is probably my new favorite book boyfriend; he turns out to be a really nice and caring guy and I loved how the book ended for Merry and Noah!

Even though most of the book is set in France it kept reminding me of two movies set in Italy, Summer Villa and Under the Tuscan Sun.

Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

French Hoilday - Sarah Ready
Pub Date: 26 Apr 2023
Rating: 4.75⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷
✔️ Enemies at first sight
✔️ forced proximity
✔️ Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Grumpy x Sunshine
✔️ Unrequited love
✔️ Quirky godmother
✔️ Mystery

If I've not said this before, I'm saying it now.... I absolutely love Sarah Ready, in my eyes now, all her books are absolutely worth listening or reading.
This is my 3rd and as usual I wasn't disappointed.
I love a very good rom com... fun, beautifully written with so much depth... n this was it.

I listened to the audiobook and read it at the same time, finished the same day but in 2 sittings and it's worth every bit of my time. I just couldn't get enough of Noah and Merry. It was relatable and brought a whole host of emotions.
The Mystery part was a bonus.
I loved the narration.

Thank you Sarah Ready, to the publisher Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for allowing me to listen and read to this book for an honest opinion

Merry is in love with her best friend but her best friend is about to marry her sister she needs to get out and away from them so she can find herself again. When she has to quit her job she takes the opportunity to live in her godmother's villa in France for a few months. Little did she know that the best man would be there

Merry doesn't like Noah, they had a bad first meeting

Noah is in France to work alone but now has Merry to deal with.

The house only has one bed and it needs a lot of work but Meery is determined to make the best of it while she gets over her crush and tries to move one

This story was more than meets the eye - Noah has a mystery being solved throughout the book. That's what makes this more than a romance.

I enjoyed Merry and her narration throughout this book - there was a lot of talk about past traumas and how one gets over them. As well as how that trauma affects how we love
A great romance with a lot of moments of overcoming past traumas

The narration was awesome - all the characters were distinct and I could hear the tones and meanings through her voice

I loved reading this book!! The enemies to lovers, the south of France setting, the wine, the art, an old château in a thunderstorm…what more could you ask for??

Merry DeLuca is in love with her best friend and suffers quite the shock when he falls in a whirlwind romance with her sister. In a series of unfortunate events she goes from maid of honor at their wedding, to quitting her job and running away to France for a three month vacation from her life…and to hopefully get over her unrequited love. Imagine her surprise when by a twist of fate the best man from the wedding, a guy Merry cannot stand, ends up at the same rundown château in France to work on his latest travel-related project.

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first novel by Sarah Ready and I’m now a huge fan! French Holiday, releasing April 26th, is such a fun contemporary rom-com that had me smiling, laughing, swooning, and tearing up.

Merry De Luca is trapped in unrequited love hell; pining for her best friend Leo, who quickly falls in love and marries her sister. After the wedding, Merry flees to France for a three month break from reality as a caretaker of her godmother’s beautiful chateau. She encounters two huge problems when she arrives= the chateau is in complete disrepair AND her godmother has also rented the chateau to Noah Wright, a grumpy travel documentarian and Merry’s arch-nemesis.

I love a good ‘only one bed’ trope, and the tension between Merry and Noah was so rich! There is plenty of laugh out loud drama around faulty plumbing, cooking without electricity, and runaway lobsters, and even broken walls and beds. The author gave both MCs detailed and complicated pasts that added depth (and mystery) to the plot. The descriptive writing had me feeling like I was strolling through the vineyards, tasting delicious wine and food, or exploring the local idyllic village. Neighbors Pierre and Camille were a fun addition that included some fun double dates and increased tension between Merry and Noah. The slow burn romance was one to root for and led to breath-holding tension, and eventually some highlight worthy swoony dialogue.
This is a perfect beach read, so add it to your TBR.

Readers will adore:
Gorgeous, escapism French setting
Laugh out loud banter
Enemies to Lovers
Only one bed; forced proximity
Past family traumas
Relatable and funny heroine
Cinnamon roll, yet pensive hero

I'll be posting my review to Instagram @jens_toweringtbr the week prior to release!

Unrequited love is the most heartbreaking kind of love, but the power that Merry (and Noah) gained from it was amazing! I loved the dynamics from the very beginning between Merry and Noah, and watching that grow and change was so cute! I need to stop reading these books of Americans abroad because all I want is to travel the world, and I don’t have the money for that!

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I got it from the Read Now section on NetGalley. The cover is what drew me in. I'm a sucker for an illustrated cover. It starts off chaotic, but immediately has my attention. Merry is at her sister's wedding where her sister is marrying her best friend, aka the love of her life. That situation gave me Something Borrowed vibes. She's having to walk down the aisle with the best man, Noah, a guy who she thinks hates her. Merry escapes to a French chateau that her godmother owns. Of course she gets there and Noah is also there. Her godmother "forgot" she also rented her chateau to him. They both decide to stay and at first, it was giving me all the Hallmark feels. It starts off as the perfect escape for the winter blues. About halfway through, I honestly got a little bored. There's a handful of side stories that became a bit much for me to keep up with. Noah was raised by a single mom, and apparently there's an actual reason that he's in France (that I won't give away). This side story was interesting, but also took away from the Hallmark vibes. Well, really it felt more Hallmark Movies & Mysteries than romance. The other side story that was a bit much was Camille and Pierre's story. It just felt unnecessary but I guess they do end up all becoming friends. There are also parts of this story that were a little too quirky for my tastes. I can be down with some chaos, but first there's rats, and then bats, and then ghost stories, and then a pet lobster? I mean honestly. That whole kitchen scene I was like.... Some parts of this story were just straight up weird. And while this book is technically open door, it's very tame and clean. It's very "he makes love to me while the sun shines through the windows." I didn't mind it, but I'd almost prefer closed door if no real details will be given. Despite all this, while this book was a touch too long and a little chaotic for my taste, by the end, my cold heart was warmed. If you get past some of the quirky parts and extra side stories, this book really does give all the Hallmark feels. So much so that I'm able to forgive most of its shortcomings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

French Holiday by Sarah Ready is an engaging, romantic story that will keep you turning pages late into the night. Filled with heartache, love, secrets, and a hint of mystery, this book is sure to delight readers.

The story follows Merry De Luca as she tries to escape her heartache and pain from seeing her sister marry the man she loves by traveling to a French castle for a three-month holiday. When she arrives, she finds Noah Wright—the best man at her sister’s wedding and the worst man she’s ever known—staying there too. Despite their dislike for each other, fate leads them together in a surprising way.

The characters are well-written, and each have their own unique qualities that make them stand out. The setting and scenery are described in detail so readers can really immerse themselves in the story. The plot twists keep readers guessing until the very end, making it difficult to put the book down.

Overall, French Holiday is an enjoyable read with plenty of romance and drama that will leave you wanting more when you reach the end. Sarah Ready creates an unforgettable world filled with passion and excitement that will have readers wishing they could be part of it themselves!

Merry has escaped to France after the man she loves has married her sister. However, she's not the only one staying at the chateau, and her unexpexted companion is the last person she wants to see... This book definitely grew on me - or more specifically, Merry did. Her fresh, funny, honest voice brings the chateau and town of Annecy to life, and depicts the other characters around her with plenty of nuance. There are light moments, swoony moments, elements of mystery, entirely realistic portrayals of family tensions, a build-up of suspense as Noah's feelings and motivations are gradually revealed, and an amusingly wry riff on gothic novels, all in a beautiful setting. Definitely recommended.