This was a cute enemies to lovers romcom, but when you add in the dreamy setting (French chateau)… all the food (bread and cheese and wine and tarts)… and the little mystery woven in, this story was a delight!

There were a couple characters and themes that kept it from being a 5 star for me, but I loved the MCs, Merry & Noah. I especially liked seeing Merry’s character growth.

Thank you to netgalley and the audiobook publisher for the chance to review the advance audio copy! Great narration.

This was my first time reading anything by Sarah Ready, and this book very much exceeded my expectations!

Going into it I wasn't expecting anything grand, just another romance book with a storyline thats been told many times before, with slightly different details. However, Ready did an amazing job of writing a fresh story, utilizing tropes we love (enemies to lovers, unrequited love, forced to share a bed, beautiful younger sister, and ugly duckling main character), but changing it up enough so as not to be an exact cooky cutter story we've heard a thousand times. As a result the book wasn't overly predictable, although I wasn't necessarily surprised at any point.

I really liked the emotional maturity that the main character and the male love interest showed throughout the book (especially the love interest). There were definitely moments in the book where I expected a character to react to a scenario one way (because thats how characters in other romance books react 100% of the time) and yet they responded differently. In this aspect, the main characters were actually pretty realistic. I didn't feel like I had to yell at them for stupid irrational decisions that no one in real life would make. (for example SPOILER: when Merry decides to trust Noah after her sisters phone call claiming he's a murderer, rather than spiralling or when Noah trusts Merry when he sees her hugging Leo rather than spiralling and making her chase after him)

That being said the writing style of this book is defiantly romance/romcom, so don't go in expecting anything overly realistic. The storyline itself wasn't comedic but a few scenes that I can think of reminded me of a comedy movie. The lines were super unrealistic but in a funny almost satire like way. At first I kind of rolled my eyes and was annoyed at the unrealistic lines, but then I realized that the it seemed like it was written in a way that the author was in on an inside joke with the readers that the characters didn't understand. I don't know if I'm explaining it well, but I thought it was well done and made the story more enjoyable/funny. (for example SPOILER: when Merry keeps talking about what genre of book/movie she is in based on how the characters/events in her life are happening or when Noah keeps unintentionally making death and killing references after Merry gets off the phone with her sister)

There was also a little bit of a mystery story line in there. It was necessary for the love interests character to be developed, but it was a big story to tell without the time to develop it in a way that felt realistic and complete.

My reasoning for not giving this book a higher rating is because there wasn't much more depth to the storyline than other romance novels, and as a personal preference I like when there is depth to a book. I like to see that a point is thoroughly proven or something emphatically stands out about a character and is well developed.
For example, if the main character and love interests emotional maturity had been explored and developed more thoroughly and had become more of a factor in the story. I understand that for a romance, readers often prefer just an easy read, however I have seen that easy reads with depth can be done.

I also found that there were a few times where characters did things in unrealistic way, and although I understand they were written like that for conciseness, it felt like it was for convenience, rather than finding a better/more realistic way to get to the same end result. ( for example SPOILER: when Noah brings Merry with him to meet his dad and then has to translate the whole thing and talk to her half the time rather than fully giving his attention to his dad and telling her what was said later or when Leo flies across the Atlantic to confess his love to his pregnant wife's sister only a couple months after getting married just so that it could be proven that Merry was really over Leo)

Overall this book was a great easy read romcom, and stood out for the authors creativity in writing a fresh story, characters that acted rationally, and lines that made me laugh.

I really liked the concept of this book. Two people who have met but did not have good impressions of each other and need to share a castle. This is an enemy-to-lovers, one-bed troupe. This book was fun and kept me entertained and wanting to know what was going to happen. I would read more books by this author.

I love it when we have a hot mess FMC and she goes on this epic journey to discover herself and what she really wants out of life and this book definitely delivered!

I also love how both the main characters ended up in this run down chateau in France for two different reasons and yet they kept popping up in each others adventures. Watching them go from kinda enemies to friends to lovers was really fun. I also found it hilarious that the side characters ended up in a whole entire thing of their own! What! LOL. OOH also, honorable mention to all the creepy crawlies in this place that the MCs had to battle along the way! BAHAHAHA

Just comes to show that you find love sometimes in the craziest of circumstances! I'm pretty happy with how this one ended *smiles to self* and I think this would make an amazing movie!

Rating: 4.25 stars/5

Content warnings: Death of a parent, pregnancy (not the FMC), sexual content, infidelity.

A huge thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for the audiobook for review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
Merry runs away to her godmother’s French house to escape a complicated reality. She arrives to discover that the house was also rented at the same time to Noah, a one-night stand from her sister’s wedding with whom she’s shared some drama in the past. How is this going to work out? I really wanted to love this book but
I felt that it had some unnecessary drama and attempted humor (I’m looking at you, Louis the lobster!) that didn’t quite work for me. I would have loved it so much more if the development of the chemistry between Merry and Noah had been more of the focus instead of the sideline.
Shout out to Kelsey Navarro for a great job narrating!!
*Thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for the advance audiobook copy for review.

A fun and charming book! Thank you netgallery, Swift & Lewis Publishing, and LLC for allowing me to ready this in advance for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the world Sarah Ready created. If you're a sucker for stories about unrequited love, finding yourself, and finding mutual love, this book is for you. You can't help but root for the two main characters to end up together. Their chemistry never felt forced and the world building (castle imagery, city feel, old bridges) brought everything full circle.

There were a few cons for me was that the story felt a bit long. I thought some of the plot was unnecessary (ie. the Lobster Chase, the 'murder mystery' plot, etc.). However, the pro's outweighed this and I would recommend this to any romance lovers out there!

This book was so much more than i thought it was going to be, i expected romance, maybe some tension, perhaps a misunderstanding followed by a reconciliation. This book delivered all this and so much more! Even with the standard romance tropes, i was still kept guessing with how things were going to go, there was a lot of will they/wont they moments, and that doesn't even touch on the secondary overarching story of Noah and his search for answers.
I loved Noah's story and enjoyed it just as much as the romantic aspect, im so glad he found answers in the end, right up until the end i wasn't sure if things would work out for Noah, but i couldn't help but cry happy tears when he finally met his father.
I loved the development of the relationship between Merry and Noah, it felt really authentic and a genuine experience. It was lovely that their story wasnt the only one that was shared as part of this book and that all characters felt well fleshed out and I was able to get a real feel for each of them.
Overall this was a really great story that will keep you guessing right until the end. The audiobook narrator really helps the story along and i would absolutely recommend listening to the audiobook version.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of this audiobook

I absolutely love this book! Loved it! Visited France this past Christmas I could picture the landscapes and feel the excitement from the characters!

These enemies to lovers stories are the best! I enjoy escaping reality and diving deep into the story. The characters learn to find art in their lives and learn what love is to them. Made me feel, mad, angry, sad, love and inspiration! Because I’ve learned after reading this that everyone could use inspiration!

I couldn’t stop listening! I was trying to put my air pods in every chance I got! Excellent Narrator choice. Lol I was giggling out loud and speaking my comments not noticing I was saying them out loud lol!

Gave this one 5 stars although I disliked how many chapters there were. I could see the ending coming but I didn’t mind. Loved these characters! Definitely recommend this destination enemies to lovers story!

*3.5 stars*
I just finished reading both Josh and Gemma books which I really enjoyed, so I was excited to grab this ARC audiobook from NetGalley. It was a cute story and an easy listen. The audiobook narrator Kelsey Navarro did a great job!

This was a super fun read. Mary (although her full name is Meredith so maybe it's Merry>??) has just watched her little sister Angela marry her best friend and unrequited love interest Leo, and now she's blindsided by more 'happy news.' So it's time for her to do something for herself, like move into her godmother's French chateau. Except that Noah Wright, Leo's best friend who definitely DOES NOT like her one iota is there too.

In a stroke of brilliance, Ready spins a tale of unrequited love, the story of love between generations, and between siblings and friends. Ready also masterfully manages a 'there's only one bed' situation (yes, even in a chateau), picture perfect dates for our leading lady and man (with other people) and French crustaceans. This was a lot of fun to listen to and I enjoyed the story, the steam (brief but not insignificant) and the hilarious hammer on the head way that she gets the 'i've just woken up in France' vibe to a T.

This is a cute, light-hearted romance, with a family mystery and a bit of drama adding to the appeal. There are a couple of parts which drag and I would have preferred more witty banter, but on the whole it is an enjoyable enough read; the caveat being you have to suspend belief at some of the impossibilities – for example, mid-way through the story it occurred to me that if the Chateau/Castle didn’t have any electric, it would ordinarily be difficult to use a laptop, make and receive mobile phone calls and take photos on your phone for weeks without having a problem with dead batteries– not so for Merry and Noah apparently! Then there was the lobster who defied nature in surviving for many, many, days without water; when ordinarily at a push they can live up to 24 hours out of the water….. Many thanks to NetGallery for the ‘Listen Now’ – the book is out on April 26, 2023.

I recently had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook "French Holiday" by author Sarah Ready. Overall, I found the book to be an enjoyable and engaging listen, with some lovely descriptions of the French countryside and exploration of love in all its forms.

One of the standout features of this audiobook is its pacing. From start to finish, the story moves along at a good clip, keeping the listener engaged and eager to find out what happens next. The exploration of love in all its forms was also a high point for me. The book delves into parental, romantic, platonic, and unrequited love, giving a well-rounded look at the different ways we can love and be loved.

I also particularly enjoyed the descriptions of France, which were vivid and immersive, transporting me to the rolling vineyards and crumbling châteaus of the French countryside. However, I did find that it took me a while to get used to the narration by Kelsey Navarro, mainly because of the American accent.

Yet, while the plot is sweet, it is also quite predictable, and I found myself wishing that some parts of the story had been shortened to bring down the audiobook's 10+ hour length. That being said, the book's exploration of love and its lovely descriptions of France make it a worthwhile listen for anyone looking for a charming and heartwarming story.

French Holiday- audiobook

3⭐️

Merry’s sister just got married to her unrequited crush. So she decides that she needs a break. So she flees to France for three months. She stays at an ancient chateau but when she arrives she isn’t alone. The best man and hookup Noah is staying in the same chateau. He does not want to be her rebound. Merry wants a romantic magical three months. She and Noah start to become friends and more… but Noah has a dark secret.
Thank you to netgally for this arc. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a French escape from reality for a romantic ride.
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What initially piqued my interested was seeing Kelsey Navarro as the audio narrator. This is my introduction to books written by Sarah Ready. As far as first impressions go, this was a good one.

I liked the pacing of the book and it kept me engaged. I enjoyed the exploration of love in all its forms (filial, romantic, platonic, and unrequited). Overall, I thought this was a cute and fun romantic novel with a smattering of spice.

I'll definitely read other books by this author.

French Holiday is such a fun read! You truly feel like you’re jetting off to France.

Merry is the maid of honor in her sisters wedding. Problem is, her sister is marrying the man she’s in love with. It has always been this way with Merry and Angela. Merry wants something, but Angela somehow gets it. The day is bad worse when she has to walk down the aisle with Leo’s best friend and best man, Noah. Noah doesn’t like her and she’s not too fond of him either. After the wedding and a bad week at work, Merey finds herself fleeing to her godmother’s chateau in France only to find two things wrong with it: it’s in disrepair and Noah has rented it out. The two must learn to live with one another and make the best of their crumbling palace.

Reading this reminded me of Emily Henry’s novels and Christina Lauren’s Unhoneymooners. It has the lightness of a romcom but both the main characters are haunted by their past. The story is elevated by a small mystery that keeps the reader and characters on their toes. I especially enjoyed the honesty of Merry’s character (to the reader, not to those around her haha). She was always getting into awkward situations and the second-hand embarrassment was felt. I almost thought the romance was rushed, then realized that I had gotten to the end of the book and just hadn’t realized it; I wanted more! The troubles Noah and Merry face force themselves to open up, learn about one another and, most importantly, learn about themselves.

As for the narration (I read the audiobook), it took me a while to get used to it. Some of the sentences lilted up like Merry’s entire inner-monologue was just questions and a few words at the beginning were pronounced in an uncommon way. Nonetheless, it grew on me. The awkwardness of situations and the emotions that carried the heavier chapters were brought out really well in the narrator’s voice.

French Holiday is a great summer or vacation read!

This book opens with Merry at the wedding of her sister Angela and Leo, the secret, unrequited, love of her life. She’s kept her devastation quiet, but Leo’s best man, and her nemesis, Noah sure noticed and called her out on it.
What follows is the worst work week of her life, and leads her to quit. To top it off the happy couple announce their pregnancy by asking her to be godmother
All this and she hits a wall, calls her own godmother for advice. Jupiter offers up temporary use of her own ‘flight plan’, a castle she owns in France. Of course she fails to mention that she had already rented out the place to Noah, so he could write and research for his travel show. After fruitless arguing, they agree to share the mostly unfurnished and surprising dilapidated chateau.

It’s a castle but it’s been basically abandoned to the creepy crawlers and disrepair for who knows how long. No electricity, little water, and a single bed that’s seen better days. In reality all this would be horrifying, but as fiction? Kind of a riot.

On the less funny side, Merry’s family is quite awful. I kept trying to give her sister the benefit of the doubt, that she’s just oblivious, but she was continuously infuriating. I mentally subtitled this book ‘unrequited love and the audacity of some people’

There’s also a very emotional subplot, about searching for love from family, that really hit me in the feelings.

This book also had me trying something new - I’d been wanting to try audiobooks, but my attention wanders too much. In attempt to train my brain to focus, I listened to this one while reading along. It worked really well - it helped this narrator puts as much feeling into the dialog as she did.

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC review of this audiobook title.

LIGHT SPOILERS

I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did. I hardly ever read romance novels so this was a really great book to get introduced to the genre. This was a classic enemies to friends to lovers trope which was done really well. I listened to this as an audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the narration style and narrator.

The story follows Merry (Meredith) who seems to be having a ‘midlife crisis’. Her sister, Angela, has just married Merry’s best friend and love of her life Leo and she has quit her job. Trying to change her life around she takes up the opportunity to move into her godmothers castle in France. When she gets there she gets the shock of her life, finding out her enemy Noah Spring is also going to be staying there.

This story was so much fun because it was a romance mystery. We have the main enemies to lovers trope whilst Noah and Merry are also trying to solve the mystery of a famous painter and his disappearance. As well as this, it had humour. This was my first read from Sarah Ready and I will be reading from her again.

You've heard of enemies to lovers, now get ready for...friends of friends to reluctant roommates?

If you've been anxiously awaiting the day you actually come across the only-one-bed fanfic trope out in the wild, then congratulations! You found it in a published novel! If you've spent the last couple of years tentatively venturing into romance novels, hoping it was just a myth, I'm very sorry. Unfortunately for me, and I'm sure many others, I've been spoiled by the small avalanche of Emily Henry books in recent years. The characters in this book don't quite live up to the expectations Henry has laid out for the genre. I know romance fans will still eat this one up, and I can almost see Joey King in the inevitable movie, but the plot is still important, folks!
Speaking of the plot, it was sweet! Until about 80% of the way through. Predictable isn't necessarily bad. For a little while, French Holiday was even a little bit self-aware. Before her journey, Merry explains that "for a second, I let myself imagine myself in soft focus," and that's exactly what romance novels are supposed to do. Let you imagine your life in soft focus.
I was rooting for Noah (despite the fact that we went from hating him to loving him in a very high-school-esque two-week period) for the whole story, and then Ready went ahead and tried to slip in a thriller B plot 3/4 of the way through the book. It was at this point that the book started to spiral out of control. It was like Ready woke up one morning and realized she wasn't exactly thrilled with her draft and accidentally forgot her own protagonist. The writing felt more intentional, and I liked this part better! It just came entirely out of left field...

As an aside, and this isn't just the bitter Long Islander in me, but our protagonist lost me pretty quickly when she said the wedding would be taking place in Long Island. No offense, but I didn't believe she was a New Yorker for one minute.

Narrator Kelsey Navarro was the perfect narrator for this audiobook. Her voice is that of a young, hip but spiraling millennial, and that's our protagonist to a T. She was my favorite part of this book.

I don't think this book necessarily stood out, and I probably won't remember the plot by the time it's published. It wasn't bad but it wasn't very good.

Thank you, NetGalley and Swift & Lewis, for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

“French Holiday” was my first book by Sarah Ready and I had such a great time! Just in terms of the cover and blurb, I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up in the bookstore, but the blurb really doesn’t do the plot justice. It’s a fast-paced, light romance, but with a lot of twists and mystery elements and the plot surprised me several times! Having read a lot of romance, I can usually predict what’s going to happen (and I’m fine with it), but “French Holiday” took some unexpected turns.

Spoiler warning:
I just don’t understand why they all have to get married so quickly? Like, yes, I would also marry my boyfriend if I fell in love with him in a romantic town in France and didn’t allow me to think twice, but Merry saw how her sister regretted marrying so quickly and she criticized them for it, but then does the exact same?! I would have preferred an ending that gives more insight into Merry and Noah renovating the Château and just being happy — the wedding felt really rushed as if the author wanted to finish the novel as quickly as possible and I also wanted to have some more closure regarding the sub plot.

This book was a fun read and had a surprise twist toward the end. I like books that I can imagine being in the story and this is one of those!