I stumbled on this audiobook and I have to say that while I went into it with low expectations I genuinely loved it. The main character Mary is relatable and funny, the spice is very G but still steamy because of the build up. There is a little mystery thrown in this romantic comedy type book that I am absolutely here for.
Get it.
Read it.
You’re welcome 😘

This was a really cute, contemporary romance that uses a familiar trope of a girl "secretly" being in love with her best friend, but then falls in love with his best friend (her nemesis) instead when she finds clarity. There was a whole other storyline woven in about a search for a long lost relative that I found interesting and really added a lot to this. I loved that it was set in a French chateau because it gave off such an air of romance and mystery. I found the romance to be believable and organically developed. I also found her sisters storyline to be relatable and endearing in a foolish way. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A heartwarming rom com that takes place in the French countryside. Plenty of funny moments between Merry and Noah. My favorite part was with the lobster. There is a touch of mystery with some plot twists that was a nice add to this book.

I don't normally read romance books, and I wouldn't say this one converted me. However, I found the wish-fulfillment of escaping to France and falling in love, combined with every single rom-com cliche, to be comforting and at times addicting. I listened to the audiobook, which helped me get through boring drives and menial tasks. I found myself wanting to escape into the romantic reality of the book (really I think I was just envious of the narrator's french vacation...) The reader did a great job with her emotional tones, as well as distinguishing the voices of the characters. I thought she captured their personalities really well.

That being said, I did feel as though the book meandered a bit towards the end, and I found a lot of the conflicts to be unrealistic. I did not care for some of the side characters and their sub-plots. Lastly, I'm not sure if I entirely bought in to the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between the two leads. It wasn't entirely clear why they disliked each other in the first place...Though maybe I'm just not a fan of enemies-to-lovers in the first place.

Like I said, this book is fine if you're looking for a nice little escape.

This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Ready, and I have to say I was truly impressed. I’ll definitely check out her backlist titles. I’ve read some awesome romantic comedies lately so the bar was kind of high going in. Fortunately, this one did not disappoint. I loved that French Holiday sucked me right in from the opening scene and had me laughing out loud throughout. The banter between the two MCs, Merry and Noah, was a lot of fun.

The story is all about discovery. For Merry it’s a journey of self discovery as she grows to realize she deserves love and happiness. Noah’s discovery revolves around his family history. I thought the mystery component in this book added a lot of intrigue and depth to the plot.

I don’t want to say too much. Just pick this one up next month (4/26) if you like:
🥰 Relatable, lovable main characters
🤭 Giggle worthy rom-coms
😠 Enemies to lovers ❤️
👫 Forced proximity
🛏️ Only one bed
😾 Grumpy Sunshine ☀️
🏰 Overseas setting
🤔 Added mystery ⁉️

I both listened and read this one which was really fun. When I had time to cozy up with my Kindle I did just that but could continue the story on the go by listening to the audiobook. I enjoyed both versions; however, I think I preferred listening because the narrator, Kelsey Novarro, nailed it!

French Holiday is a light-hearted, sweet, quick and easy read that’s sure to have you smiling and laughing along the way.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this copy for review.

Honestly I'm surprised by this book! I really enjoyed it!

Merry is in love with her best friend, who just married her sister. Womp-womp. Then she goes to work and has to lay off a large percent of her coworkers. WOMP-WOMP. So with all her free time and her dinged up heart, her godmother sends her off to her French chateau.

Only she finds someone already there. Noah. The best man at the wedding who she spent a blurry, yet naked, night with.

Oh they also hate each other.

What is this book? Sort of enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed!! And the love interests actually become friends before anything else.

And it's all set in a dilapidated chateau, while a mystery is being solved. Delightful.

If I'm being honest, I read this just so I could boost my NetGalley score, but this was a really fun read! Highly recommend.

Five fabulous flirty stars for this delightfully fun story about unrequited love. Packed with cast of quirky characters, humor land wit, a delicious French landscape, even a bit of mystery thrown in, this one has it all! The narration by Kelsey Navarro really brought this cast of characters to life, the chemistry between Merry and Noah was palpable and their banter, perfectly spot on.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, both in the past month, and I really have enjoyed her writing style. I look forward to reading more.

A hearty thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the opportunity to preview an advance listening copy of this fantastic story that is due to publish 26-Apr-2023. This is my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Loved this cute, warm, cozy romantic book!!

I wish I could have more of it!

I read the book while listening to the audiobook and it pulled me in it in the most mesmerizing way possible. It's sweet, hurting but gives you the warm, fuzzy you want from a cozy romcom. If it's something you are looking for, go for this book.

The lines in this book is swoon worthy, I was literally feeling so warm, mushy that all of me melted. I want a NOAH so bad🫠🫠🫠🫠. I want to dress like Merry, be in France and do romantic things, go on picnics, find a Pierre and just get away for a while and maybe maybe find my Noah. He is literally my favourite character right now.

The tropes are swoon worthy, the author doesn't reveal them beforehand and it's so worthy getting found at the moment in the book. I can't be more thankful, it's one of the most beautiful things.

Merry going on her journey and finding herself more through it, I think the way she believes in herself is something to have in oneself. Her journey, growth is something I loved.

Merry and Noah's story is full of mystery, thrill, twists, uncertainty and charm that it needs.

I need to listen to this again 🥰🥰🥰🙈 and I will.

In French Holiday, we follow Merry who just attended her best friend’s wedding… to her sister. Merry had unspoken feelings for Leo for years but never acted on them. Now it’s too late. She decides to give herself some space and take a vacation. When she gets to France she finds Leo’s best man, Noah, who she loathes is also staying there. And you can probably guess how it goes from there.

This was a cute romcom. The author added in a treasure hunt-ish storyline midway that threw me off at first but I did end up liking it.

It’s a romcom that will entertain you but not one that will stick with you. I had fun reading it but it won’t be one I need to come back to.

I did really enjoy the narration on the audiobook. I love listening to Kelsey Navarro but she narrates a lot of books that are outside of my preferred milder spice level.

3.5⭐️

GENERAL INFO
=======================================
Year Pub/Re Pub: 4/26/23
Audiobook time: 12h 2mins
Narrator: Kelsey Navarro- loved Merry's voice -funny and panicky at times. Noah was a bit dry and monotone -as he should be.
Genre: Rom Com
Setting: NY and France
Tropes: enemies to lovers, unrequited love
Source: Thank you for the audiobook received via NetGalley and the publisher. I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.
Standalone /Part of a Series/Installment: standalone
Epilogue Included: no
=======================================
Character(s)POV Spoken: Merry(h)
=======================================
BOOK DESCRIPTION
=======================================
M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F
HEA/HFN/etc Ending: HEA
Contains Cheating: no
Contains Children: no
Flashbacks: yes, both Noah and Merry remember things parents did or didn't do for them.
Jealy/Possy/OTT Rating: 4. I think Noah is a little jealous of Leo and Pierre. Merry has to be jealous of her sister and Camille. Merry keeps saying she loves her sister so much trying to convince herself that she does.
Amount of Sex In The Book: just enough
Overall Smex Rating: 3
=======================================
CHARACTER DESCRIPTION
=======================================
HERO: Noah Wright
Hero Description: best man @ Leo & Angela's wedding. A grumpy, travel documentarian/photographer. BFF w/ Leo. Rents chateau from Jupiter in France under the guise of work.
Hero Likability Rating:4
HEROINE: Meredith/Merry DeLuca
Heroine Description: 28, her sister and BFF Leo get married, engaged after 1 day of meeting each other. Runs away to France at the suggestion of godmother Jupiter.
Heroine Likability Rating: 4
Secondary characters:
Angela-Merry's sister "the pretty one," shown love and liked by everyone. Think Amy from The Wedding Date
Jupiter-godmother, free spirit muse to "struggling" artists. Think Katherine from Under the Tuscan Sun.
Pierre-French neighbor/art collector Merry meets, hoping to have a fling w/ him
Camille-French neighbor, a Noah fangirl
=======================================
H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO
=======================================
OW/OM/Exes: Merry has been in love w/ Leo forever
Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h Relationship: no
Grovel Rating: n/a but both Noah and Merry have some explaining to do when things get sticky
Did OW/OM/Ex Ruin the Book For You: no, though I hated Leo came to France talking to Merry.
=======================================
TRIGGERS/WARNING: none I can think of besides some gangster cockroaches, bats, and a lobster
=======================================
AUTHOR OVERVIEW: Sarah Ready-1st time author for me
======================================
Overall Rating: 4.5
Do You Recommend This Book: yes
Will You Re-read This Book: yes
Would you read more books by this author: yes
Comments/Notes: Loved the escape Merry took while in France. Adventure, fun, and a fling was how it started, but becomes a nice journey for her and Noah in self-discovery. The French countryside was a character I felt and smelled in the book.

This was such a fun story to listen to! The narrator did a fantastic job of drawing me in right away. When the book started I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Merry. She seemed like a complete mess that couldn’t make a decision but I ended up liking her a lot. I loved Merry’s growth from being a continuous giver to others to learning that it’s okay to take things for herself when needed. And who better to take than the lovely Noah. And in a chateau in France. I liked the way these two helped each other move past their different unrequited loves and heal the past. They were perfect together. Overall I really liked this adventurous read and can’t wait to read more by Sarah Ready.

Thank you to NetGalley and the audiobook publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts are all my own.

This is definitely a five star romance that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and this mixes in close proximity that is just *chefs kiss*. The banter between the characters is phenomenal, and the pages absolutely flyby. I absolutely fell in love with the Merry and Noah instantly and couldn’t help but root for them!!

This book had be giggling out loud! The characters and plot provided me with a feel good, happy feeling as I got lost in their world. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a funny and light pick me up!

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

Overall, this wasn't a bad book, and the narration was well done. But it was very easy for me to put the book down and forget I was listening to it. I just didn't connect with the story or the characters at all. It was very predictable (though, I suppose books of this genre are.).

This was my first book by Sarah Ready and I would consider reading another of hers, but I'm not sure who I recommend this book to.

2 stars for 'it was ok'

This book approaches the various types of love. It starts with the familiar love, moves on to friendship and extends to love, where it refers to self-love and unrequited love.
All the lack of love that the character feels leads her to go to the romantic France, but that whole idea falls apart as soon as she sees the crumbling castle.
What lies ahead are hilarious moments for the reader, through moments for the two main characters to develop their relationship, rats, friendships and even Louis, a lobster that doesn't want to be cooked. (It was one of my favorite chapters)
Through the words of the book we find ourselves experiencing the place through the sensations of the character, the parisian life and all the French cuisine that is brought to us.
There is a mystery that subtly begins to emerge and makes us know Noah better, and that whole mystery is very well concluded in the end.
At first it led me to think that the book had taken a slight detour from the main story, however I think it was just the right element of mystery to make it a gothic romance book.

I strongly advise you to listen to this in audiobook format, because the narrator is very expressive, conveying the feelings and bringing the words to life, dazzling us with what is created around us by the French charm.

I listened & read the ebook, and I preferred the audio version! Kelsey is an excellent narrator & I flew through the story listening to her. Like I said about the ebook, it seemed a little long and repetitive, but the character development, French atmosphere, and even the mystery of Noah’s past made it easy to submerge, wondering how it’ll end.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

I read this via audiobook and first I would like to say that I really enjoyed the narration. I thought the narrator did a great job.

I really enjoyed the book and had a good time while reading it. I especially loved that there was no third act break up which is refreshing!! The story was fun and the “mystery” in it was an interesting twist. I was cracking up at many points as well. Especially any scene around a specific lobster!!! The book was fun and cute and made me want to runaway to a chateau in France with a handsome man who makes travel documentaries.

I will say that at times the FMC did annoy me I feel like she was super naive at time. Everyone in this book also like fell in love and got married super quickly which just seemed so unrealistic. This is a plot I feel like I’ve read 100x before but it’s also one I still continue to enjoy.

Overall if you enjoy cute romance with forced proximity, he falls first and a French country side this book is perfect for you!!

Merry has been in unrequited love with her best friend for years but he marries her sister in a whirlwind romance. After a series of unfortunate events, Merry is offered a three month stay at a French chateau in the countryside. Dreaming of delicious pastries and a French love, Merry rushes to accept the offer. But what she finds at the chateau is very different than what she expected. It turns out that she has to share a nearly crumbling castle with Noah Wright, the best man from her sister's wedding who's a travel documentarian and all-around terrible person. Of course, nothing else goes right from that moment onward. But what happens when secrets are revealed and mysteries are unfolded?

This was the first book I've read by Sarah Ready and I had no clue what to expect. I was surprised by just how many layers of plot there were! There's an enemies to friends to lovers romance, a mystery involving a famous artist, and numerous chaotic situations that happen when you live in a crumbling castle.

The rogue lobster scene had me laughing out loud as I listened to the audiobook! It was so much fun, especially after the disappearance and reappearance acts. I also love romance books with mystery subplots and this book had quite a bit of a mystery to uncover! This part did fall a little flat for me, especially since it seemed like the biggest subplot of the story. Between that great unveiling and the actual end, it felt like the story could have ended in a handful of different spots. But instead, it dragged on and kept introducing new conflicts when it felt like everything should have been wrapped up.

I listened to this as an audiobook and Kelsey Navarro did an amazing job! She kept me so interested in the book from start to finish. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, European romance book with a little mystery subplot!

Perfect if you like:
- forced proximity
- enemies to friends to lovers
- European romance

Thank you to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, and Sarah Ready for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I really expect a typical American in France and falling in love story. There is so much more than typical romance. The characters are genuinely likeable I especially loved Camille. The story starts slowly however quickly picks up. The narrator for audiobook version is excellent and has excellent tone of voice.

This book hit every mark for a fun emotional relatable contemporary romance. I loved it so much. I really had a great time, and loved both the MC and the love interest. The MC is a perfect combination of relatable and quirky and cute and the love interest is my favorite type of love interest - dark emotional broody past. 🥹 ugh this is beautiful story.

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley