This book is the cutest to the core! I absolutely adore Merry and Noah, they are perfect for each other! This is what I meant when I want a good romcom. It was quirky, funny plus the slow burn slash awesome chemistry complement the plot. Writing, marvellous. Pacing, fast. No need to pause to read this, I finished in one sitting mind you.

Merry is my kindred-spirit. She's what I'm looking for in a romcom main character. She's hopeful yet grounded. She's the definition of natural quirky, she has funny bones in her and I love it. She isn't like the typical female protagonists where when there is a misunderstanding she would bawled over the guy without confrontation, or blindly putting the blame of the other party, but she listened to Noah. She gave him her trust, she's acting very wise and mature for a romcom female main character. Just love her personality. I could relate to her a lot, she's kinda like me in certain way of thinking. I truly get her and why she acted and thought like she did, because at some point I had similar experiences like Merry, and I bonded with her for that.

Noah is a dreamboat. He's mysterious and romantic but you need to look closer to notice that. I actually like men like him. He's the type that shows love through action rather than words. And their banter? Urgh, I love it.

There isn't anything lacking in terns of the writing, plot and characters. Maybe there's a little cliché at some point but I love it! Idk what to say anymore. Their slow-burn is everything. The one bed trope but make it funnier yet putting them closer and closer, arghhhh I adore them so much! This book is gonna be at the top lists among the books I love this year.

Fun quick read… there were some really funny parts (the rat and the lobster! Hahaha)
The romance felt a little too rushed to be real but it was definitely entertaining. :)

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was so fun the chemistry between Merry and Noah was fabulous. The setting of France was perfect and there was love, lust, mystery and humor. Highly recommend!

Sarah Ready is amazing at hooking you in right from the start with an interesting premise, characters with CHEMISTRY, and a fast moving plot. "French Holiday" brings all of that right from the get go and it's easy for readers to get sucked into the book right from the start. The main character, Merry, is plucky, charming, and infallibly optimistic, despite the shitty cards she's been dealt in life. Always playing second fiddle to her sister -- who literally marries the man Merry herself has been in love with for years -- she escapes to a French castle and lands in a forced proximity situation with Noah, the male lead. The chemistry between the two was great - it felt REAL. I liked their banter and how natural it felt at various points of their relationship.

I think my biggest qualm with the book was that it starts as a romance with an interesting subplot, but by the end, it feels like the subplot has taken center stage and the romance falls secondary. While this isn't a bad thing, I think it wasn't what I was expecting, so I was a little taken off guard. I would have preferred for the relationship between Merry and Noah to stay at the forefront of the novel from start to finish personally!

Ahhh this was such a cute book! I read and listened to this one. While it started off a bit slow, once it picked up I loved it!

Things are looking down for Merry De Luca, a twenty-something New Yorker with a dead-end job in HR, a challenging family, and not a romantic prospect to speak of. When her godmother offers her the use of her French chateau for three months, Merry knows she'd be a fool to turn it down. Since the godmother in question is a bit scatterbrained, she forgot that she had rented the chateau to Noah Wright, a documentary filmmaker. Merry, Noah, and her godmother had all recently been together at Merry's sister's wedding, where Merry and Noah had, for lack of a better word, a run-in with each other.

Noah is arrogant and churlish, and Merry doesn't have the energy for it. So him being on site when she arrives at the chateau is the absolute worst way to start off the visit.

Over the course of their time together, Noah and Merry reach a detente as housemates, then experiment with what it's like to be friends. But since it's the French countryside, the friendship takes on new dimensions as they get to know each other.


Tropes include: just one bed; enemies to lovers; blind to love; off-limits love; forced proximity; insta-love; and a secret past.

What I liked:
Merry's character growth throughout the story. She starts off the story a bit of a doormat but that changes. Her inner struggle is relatable and realistic.
Noah's dimensions - especially when he's 'off-duty' from his filmmaking work. He is remarkably in touch with his own emotions.
The setting
The pace
A few additional surprises as the book went on, adding to the layers of the story.
'Fairy' godmother - eccentric, generous, great timing. Wouldn't we all want one just like that?



What I didn't:
The story started off a bit slow, which in retrospect I think was necessary to set up the somewhat bulky premise. It all worked out in the end.
Some of the basic elements of each character were a little murky, like hometown, age, etc. There were a few concepts that were American concepts described by a non-American and I think a bit of editing could help smooth that over.
If Merry was so dedicated to her career at the beginning, it would have been interesting to get her inner thoughts as time passed about what it was like to NOT work. Same with the ending (I dont want to give it away) but it didn't fit that she would give up her job without a plan for what's next.... or at least acknowledge that that was happening.

Giving this 4.5⭐️s.

- Enemies at first sight
- Forced Proximity
- French countryside setting
- Only One Bed
- Romance with a little mystery
- Slow burn

I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I adored Noah and Merry. Watching them go from enemies-at-first-sight to friends to lovers was so sweet. Based on the blurb, I was expecting a funny enemies to lovers romcom–which it was–but I wasn't expecting all the achingly tender, heartwarming moments that went along with it. There were a lot of emotions!

What I loved:
• Noah 🫠
• The setting: I *loved* how I felt like I was in France alongside them. It's incredible how authors are able to do that–transport us to other places/worlds.
• The history and art aspect: I didn't bother fact checking anything because that's not the point of a romance novel, but I found castle-living so fascinating. I also loved that art was a big topic, asNoah's research involved a famous artist.
• The slow burn: Merry has been in love with her best friend for years, and he just married her sister. Work life wasn't any better, either. She needed an escape, and France was it. But Noah (travel documentarian, best friend's *other* best friend, enemy at first sight, and a man with a troubled past) happened to be booked at the same castle. In this case, I *really* appreciated that there was no insta anything. They got to know each other, and lived together amicably, which allowed a friendship to form. "There’s a peculiar truth that sometimes it’s easiest to share the most painful things about yourself with people you barely know and won’t see again."
• The mystery: I wasn't expecting this aspect at all! And it gripped me. I ended up staying up late just to finish this book because I *needed* to know.

French Holiday was fun, sweet, engaging, well paced, and sprinkled with enough delicious tension to keep the slow burn spark going! Definitely recommend.

"Because that’s the best kind of love. The kind where you love someone with your whole heart and they love you with their whole heart right back."

This one was just so cute! I really enjoyed the storyline and the mystery that unfolded unexpectedly, added an amount of intrigue to the plot. Noah & Merry made such an adorable couple. I couldn't help but root for them to get together ever since the very start. It was obvious that they had feelings for each other but couldn't understand how deeply those feelings ran. It was a delight to read when they finally crossed the "just friends" mark. Also, I was not expecting to like Pierre & Camille but their character development towards the end, made me enjoy their storyline too! Overall this book was an incredibly sweet, charming and drama free read. Noah & Merry gave me butterflies and the plot was absolutely charismatic!

I was provided with an ARC copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

I have to admit that I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. As an avid fan of romance, frankly the plot setting and premise have been done before. (Enemies to lovers/ forced proximity/ there’s only one bed/ FRANCE)

That said. What I ended up truly loving about this book were the relatable characters. Even with zany romcom moments thrown in the mix there was enough motive and heart to give the tropes credibility (even occasionally seeming to poke some fun at the corniness of the situations). The additional plot lines revolving around family dramas and mysteries added to our view of the mains characters and their relationship without diverting too much focus, a hard balance to maintain. Overall there’s really not much more I could ask for in a romance novel. I’m knocking it down to a four star merely for some lagging the middle

The Audiobook narration was well done and enjoyable as well, huge plus as always!

I loved the two Josh and Gemma books So I was very excited to be able to read Sarah Ready's new book! I love the way Sarah writes her characters - they seem so relatable. This book did NOT disappoint! the relationship between Noah and Merry was exactly what I needed - sweet and adorable! Noah is such a wonderfully written character and how can you not love what he says about Merry, who is also super fun and relatable! Another successful read from Sarah Ready

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC & NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC

A little slow to start for me, this forced proximity, holiday romance that takes place in a crumbling castle in France is one part romance, one part family mystery.

Merry goes to France to escape her life when her sister marries her best friend Leo (the only man she's ever loved) and discovers she has to share a castle with the one man she can't stand, documentary filmmaker Noah and Leo's best man.

The chemistry between Merry and Noah was great but I found the middle of the story dragging a bit. Once we get more in Noah's background and why he's in France I couldn't wait to see how things would end.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review. The cover for this book was fantastic and while maybe not my favorite Sarah Ready book (Josh and Gemma will still have first place in my heart), this was definitely a fun read!

I can not say enough good things about French Holiday! The atmosphere set by the author is so beautiful and romantic. I have never physically been to France but I was transported there while reading! I thoroughly enjoyed Merry’s character and her development throughout the story. The chemistry between her and Noah is palpable. Their story is incredible! If you enjoy the enemies to lovers & forced proximity tropes this one is for you. It will take you on a roller coaster full of unrequited love, beautiful scenery, art, potentially haunted chateaus and a lovely Lobster named Louis (you’ll have to find out for yourself). This has been one of my favorite reads of 2023 so far! I wish I could hide away in this book forever!

Thank you to Sarah Ready and to Swift & Lewis Publishing for allowing me the honor of reading an ARC of this gem!

I was super surprised and taken aback by how much I loved this book!! All the twists and turns were excellent, kept me on my toes! The slow burn was delicious. Noah and Merry absolutely stole my heart!!

Very lovely enemies to lovers romance, with some mystery thrown in. This one was very enjoyable! Loved the setting of the crumbling French chateau.

French Holiday sounded delightful. Who wouldn’t want to go to France and stay in a castle. That said, it was a little draw out and overdone. I wanted to like it so much more.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

This was amazing.I devoured this in one sitting.It was exactly what I needed.Sarah Ready is my go to author and she never disappoints. Perfect read with banter ,funny dialogue,bit of angst with a side of mystery.absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend.

this book is amazing, so achingly sweet and I adore noah and merry so so much. noah is everything, like what a man. he had me screaming and clutching my kindle with the things he'd say to merry. Merry was also so much fun and so funny and relatable. the characters are so good and the setting. I recommend it to everyone. It's just so fun and romantic and I will be reading so much more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, wift & Lewis Publishing LLC, Sarah Ready, for this ARC!

"For some reason it seems like I was born with a heart that can only fall for people who will never want me back."

"You can do romantic, grand things. But they can never know."

"Even if you travel all the way across the world, you can't leave your problems behind. They're packed up inside you, like the clothes in your suitcase."

This was such an adorable story with an unexpected heartwarming element that is sure to stir some emotions in you. The beginning was fast-paced and I'm glad Merry did not waste time after seeing the so called "love of her life" marry her sister. She was a very charming and likeable character (and alarmingly relatable at times) that I could not put this book down. Noah was also just the right amount of arrogant and funny without being condescending.

It was a solid three-star read for me until I got about halfway through the book and realized I am enjoying it more than I thought I would - especially with the little mystery that our heroine has to solve. Noah, Merry & Louis' antics were hilarious and I am honestly glad that the castle they stayed in was in ruins *wink.

The parallels between the first and the last chapter was also so cute and romantic, I almost wish for a longer epilogue.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC!

Throw in a spoonful of unrequited love, a man you can't stand but can't stop thinking about, a crumbling French castle, a bit of forced proximity, a curious lobster named Louis and a bit of gothic mystery and you get this wonderful story. Merry's sister Angela married Merry's crush Leo and she quits her job and takes a breather in France. Leo's friend Noah happens to be there too, looking for a French artist. I loved the writing and the way the plot unfolded and I had a soft spot for Noah.

I wasn't sure about this book originally as I didn't realise what the title was. However when I read the blurb I was so excited!

A classic enemies to lovers after heartbreak is amazing. Merry, is heartbroken when her sister marries the love of Merry's life, not that she knew, because she kept it hidden. To cope with her secret heartbreak, Merry decides to head on holiday, to the France, the romance capital.

Except, there's no romance to be found when Merry arrives and finds her enemy, Noah, who also happened to be the Best Man at the wedding at the castle she was staying in. Both stubborn in their ways, refused to leave the castle and so begins the enemies to lovers trope!

Usually, the MC's are always the true main characters of the book but Louie the Lobster deserves a solid mention here too!

Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, wift & Lewis Publishing LLC, Sarah Ready, for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.