I came for the cover and stayed for the French countryside setting but overall this novel was a disappointment.
I really tried to overlook the overwhelming number of rom com troupes, but the plot points and the characters themselves became just too cliche for my liking. I appreciate the author’s attempt to interject some comedy but the many pages featuring a lobster sealed the deal for me.
I finished the novel, hoping that the conclusion would wrap up on a high note, but revisiting an extremely unlikeable character in the final chapters left this ending flat.

This should be a fun beach read for a younger demographic. Thank you Swift and Lewis Publishing and Net Galley for the audio copy in exchange for my honest review. In keeping with my positive review pledge, this will not be shared on my public platforms.

4.5 stars

I love that we got two love stories in this book - Merry and Noah and Camille and Pierre! I thought the setting on the French countryside was very sweet and overall pleasant and perfect for this story.

I did not really like how Merry threw around the word love, she seemed overall a bit immature to me. She loves Leo today, then a week later she loves Noah. Merry's sister and Leo's relationship just gave me anxiety. Hearing how Merry described her sister as loosing interest in everything shortly after, I was shocked when she got pregnant quickly after the wedding. I was also very confused when Leo came to France and tried to seduce Merry, then five minutes later said how much he loves her sister. Huh?!

I did enjoy the story overall, I would not say these are my favorite characters or my favorite love story, but I think that the French countryside made up for this a lot! I would also like to read more about Camille and Pierre.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing this audiobook to me in exchange for my honest review!

This is the third book that I’ve read by Sarah Ready and I think she’s pretty talented and does a good job with her stories and writing. Over all I had a pretty fun time with this book and I look forward to picking up more book by the author in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook, the author was pleasant to listen to and the story had just enough predictability and mystery. The love story flowed throughout the book in a perfect manner. The book was easy to follow, both quirky and sweet, and had an excellent ending that wrapped everything up nicely. I really appreciated the ability to listen to this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in romance novels or looking to lighten things up from a murder mystery genre as well. Personally, I also appreciated that the love/romance scenes weren't overly graphic, sometimes listening to that via audiobook can be slightly awkward and this book had just the right amount of spice! Overall a great read/listen.

Sarah Ready is turning into an author I can definitely rely on for a romance book I can't put down and French Holiday was no exception. Though parts of this book were utterly ridiculous and a suspension of belief was absolutely necessary to enjoy this, I really liked the characters and the setting and the slight mystery component of this story. The love story was cute and I felt a bit like I wouldn't mind doing some travelling but I have no desire to stay in a centuries-old castle that is falling apart LOL. A cute light beach read with a lot of fluff and low on the steam :)

This book has a lot going on but in the best way possible. While the main plot is about Merry and her quest to move on after the love of her life marries her sister, there are multiple subplots: the forced proximity between her and her nemesis Noah, the neighbor Pierre who seems to be hiding something, and the other neighbor Cami who brings Merry & Noah's attention to the mystery of the castle. This occurs while Merry and Noah attempt to make the castle (which neither of them was aware was in such disrepair) more habitable during their 3-month stays.

This was my first book by Sarah Ready and it won’t be my last. This book had so many good things… enemies to lovers, forced proximity, only one bed… but also hilarious banter, a crazy disastrous French chateau, unrequited love (iykyk), and just a lot of things to make you laugh. I loved Mary and found her to be very relatable and real, and it was also so sad to see how she gave everything for her little sister and as she grows to realize why she was that way. I loved Noah from the get go and knew he was going to be such a swoony book boyfriend. I love the mystery and intrigue of the chateau and the art. Give me a book with great romance and a great mystery to solve and I am there!

I listened to this book in 1 day, it was such an easy listen with a fantastic narrator. I could not pull myself away from this story and just had to finish it! Thank you netgalley for the advanced listener copy.

Belly Laugh Funny

This has got to be one of the funniest books I have read. Just looking for something light to fill in between my usual historical fiction books. I laughed all the way through the book.

Story of a girl in love with a boy who marries her sister. It gets worse she has to attend the wedding pretend she is happy for her sister and walk down the aisle with the most annoying man ever the best man Noah Wright. Merry is devastated and on top of that she has a crummy job she hates and quits the job. Now What!

Her godmother to the rescue. She offer's Merry a castle in France for three months. Merry is delighted, she dreams of French pastries, a historic castle and maybe a romantic French man to go with it!
Merry packs and flies off to France. When she arrives it all falls to pieces when she finds none other than Noah Wright already living in the castle. Oh how awful! Her godmother forgot that she rented it to Noah for the summer. He won't leave and she has nowhere to go so they end up agreeing to live in the castle together as friends then they will never see each other again.
That's when the fun begins. Complicated by a French man named Pierre and a French girl named Camille.

I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a wonderful job. Her voice was perfect for the story and the characters were distinguished between them very well. She was pleasant to listen to and easy to understand.

The characters are perfect. They learn to communicate , they learn to love and they learn that you never believe all of what you hear. Love is believing in someone, trusting, and being there for them. It means waiting until you know what is in your heart, then letting your heart lead the way.
This was a very entertaining book and I would definitely recommend it. If you want a few laughs and some good humor with a bit of romance than you will love it.

Thanks to Sarah Ready for writing a great story, to Kelsey Navarro for the wonderful narration, to Swift and Lewis publishing for publishing the audio book and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

this was an enjoyable read. I liked the growth the MC showed as she went from infatuation for her best friend, to an actual adult relationship on her French holiday. (with a bit of meddling assistance from a belovedly eccentric aunt) there was plenty of humor with the ramshackle castle , and lots of romance-y moments.

What an entertaining book. Made me laugh!

French Holiday starts out with sister's in love with the same guy. One loses and one wins. We follow the loser in a number of circumstances. She dreams of love with the perfect prince charming on a beautiful day just like the rest of us. She must have watched Disney movies growing up and has a make believe image of love and romance. Well, you need to read the book to find out how Mary finds love.

The characters are well developed in the book. The author does a great job describing the scenery so you feel like you are there. She even describes the smells. The temperature of the day or night. She tells you what the character are thinking and then what they finally decide to say. This is a fun lighthearted read. I recommend it.

I adored this audiobook and have recommended it to numerous friends on Instagram.

I will be purchasing my own physical copy to reread.

If you are looking for a romcom with several different tropes, this is the book for you! This enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed romcom even has a bit of mystery. This open door romance was unrealistic at times, but it was a cute book and that didn’t take away from the storyline.

Kelsey Navarro was an excellent narrator and if you enjoy audiobooks, I would highly recommend the audio version of the book.

Do you judge a book by the cover?

I absolutely loved the vibrant colors of this book, and it made me want to read it.

ARC REVIEW

French Holiday, Sarah Ready, Narrator: Kelsey Navarro (Audio)

French chateaus, art & a feisty lobster names Louie . . . oh and did I mention magic? All these are beautifully presented in Sarah Ready’s novel, French Holiday. I was immediately lost in the descriptions of France and the chateau. Plus, Navarro did a superb job in speaking French during her narrating.

The story line is classic: enemies to friends to lovers. The story is relatable to the reader - themes of self-doubt, self reinvention, hopes of love & dreams. Woven into the story are the characters of Merry and Noah. Noah is so guarded holding on to a secret that the reader desperately wants revealed, while Merry struggles with self-doubt & wanting someone to “see” her. The longer they are in France & the more time spent together discovering each other & art, allows each to open up & find what they need to be more confident in themselves & each other.

One of my favorite aspects of this story is the Lover’s Bridge in France. It has so many significant moments & a beautiful story that fits here so well. Also, there were some memorable quotes that I wish I could share! They spoke to my heart & the dreams of love.

The story is light-hearted, witty & relatable. It is full of magic, love & dreams. And again, Louie . . . sooo much to say & laugh about but you will need to read the novel to discover that story. Make sure to pick this novel up & enjoy the read this summer!

After watching her sister and her best friend/love of her life walk down the aisle, Merry Deluca is crushed. So, when she’s offered the chance to disappear into the French countryside and nurse her broken heart, she jumps at the chance. But from the moment she arrives, nothing seems to go right. The castle is not the glorious escape her godmother, Jupiter, promised. Noah Wright, best man and bane of her existence is also staying there. And worst of all, there is only one bed in the entire place. So, what is she to do but strike a truce with the man she hates for the next three months.

This book was a wonderful rom-com. There was so much humor (the cucumber! The lobster!) and Merry was such a disaster, I found myself laughing out loud. Ready made it easy to like Merry and feel for her. I wanted her to get her happy ending. The level of detail she infused into the book combined with Navarro’s narration transported me to that little French castle and brought Merry to life.

This was a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance with forced proximity. Three things that played so well together. The romance didn’t feel rushed or forced and the banter between Noah and Merry was on point. You could easily feel the tension between them. I also liked that it wasn’t the only storyline. The mystery added to the story and gave depth to what would otherwise be a typical rom-com.

French Holiday was an over the top, fun, read. It’s perfect for rom-com lovers and those looking for a holiday/beach read. I listened to the audiobook and I would highly suggest it. Kelsey Navarro’s narration was wonderful.

I really loved the mc. I found I was able to relate to her and honestly loved her wit and humor. very well written and highly recommend.

I cannot tell you how much I LOVED this book!

For me, it was exactly like heading on a summer holiday to the south of France. It was warm, charming, and memorable with a few moments on the emotional side.

The book starts with Merry's sister marrying Leo, her best friend who she's also been totally in love with for far too long. To escape the pain she feels and hopefully forge a new path, she heads to her godmother's French Chateau for the summer. But unknown to her, Leo's moody best man, Noah is there for the summer too.

This book came with so much humour, but it had its fair share of more emotional moments too, with plenty of character development on both sides. There were twists & turns I didn't always see coming and thought-provoking events as we learn about the characters back stories.

It made for a story that captivated me and transported me right to the French countryside with Merry & Noah, drinking wine and eating cheese. I love the two apart, but together they're a total force of nature. The ending totally had me crying, and I also have a new love for lobsters. But you'll have to read to find out why!!

I listened to the audiobook which was brought to life through the narrator, Kelsey Navarro, who did a wonderful job.

5 Stars

#FrenchHoliday #NetGalley #SarahReady

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my second Sarah Ready book and I absolutely loved the audiobook! I requested for this ARC because I adore French romances and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. The narrator did a great job which made this a fun listen. It’s the perfect enemies to lovers and I quite enjoyed all the banter. The storyline and mystery kept me hooked, and had me rooting for the MCs right from the start.

Overall it’s a sweet romance with fun, likeable characters and any lol moments. I certainly recommend this book to all romance lovers.

My first book from this author and I love it.
This was an audiobook that I listened to, such a great story
Fun banter between Merry and Noah
So one had love at first sight and sooo much happens to bring them together can we say fate
This book gives like enemies to friends to ewww to lovers lol - there is such a great mix oh and dont forget the gothic romance (they talk about it also)
Noah was such a grump at first and its funny bc we figure out way later on
Always the bridesmaid was the theme of the begining of the book but then it gets into doing something different to fix her life and make changes, this comes bc Merry who is in love with her best friend loses him to her sister and they are getting married. She takes it hard.
Merry has a fairy-godmother and doesnt realize it til the end
The setting is France and a castle which set a close enclosure for them to be stuck at
Also there is a bit of a family search, a mystery and then the romance part of love that they didnt realize was there for them

I got the chance to listen to this book by the publisher and NetGalley. So thankful that I got to listen to this audiobook and now need to see what else this author writes. The review/my opinions above are all my own, honest and voluntary.

““Merry? All ready?” Angela asks. “Absolutely,” I tell my sister, the woman who’s about to walk down the aisle and marry the love of my life.”

Merry needs a break, from her life, from her sister and definitely from her best friend Leo. It’s not that she can handle that Angela and Leo just got married, she can, she is totally happy for them, never been happier but she just needs a break. So when her godmother offers her the opportunity to travel to France and stay in a romantic chateau, Merry packs her bags, hoping to relax and maybe even meet a lovely man named Pierre to enjoy while she’s there. However, on arrival she finds Noah, Leo’s other best friend, grumpy asshole and possibly Merry’s little wedding night mistake. Will they survive the summer together in the chateau? Only time will tell.

There were a lot of things to like about this book and over all, I thought it was really sweet. Was is a little predictable? At times. But did it deliver on the cute and cozy vibes I was craving when I picked it out? Yes. This one has some of the worlds favourite tropes, forced proximity, one bed, grumpy/sunshine(-ish). As someone who doesn’t read a lot of romance, I did find parts a little too cheesey and some of the plot points felt like something out of a good DraMione fanfic, but honestly, It was kinda part of the charm. I listened to the audiobook for this one, narrated by Kelsey Navarro, and I think she did a fabulous job, and kept me engaged when things went a little silly. This one is for anyone who wants to escape to France but can’t quite afford to fly and does not have a godparent with a chateau to go to.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook.

Loved this one!! I read the Josh and Gemma books and adored them so I had high expectations for this one. Same wacky scenarios, hilarious writing and feel good moments. Highly recommend!!