Merry has been in love with her best friend, Leo, for years, and is about to tell him how she feels, when he meets her sister Angela and falls in love at first sight. They get engaged the next day and Merry ends up as the maid of honor in their wedding, paired up with best man, Noah Wright, a well known travel photographer and documentarian. Merry and Noah end up spending that wedding night together, and she hopes to never see him again. That is, until she shows up at her godmother's French chateau after quitting her HR job, only to find that Noah is staying there as well.

WOW! I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. Merry was the perfect heroine - she was smart, sweet, and laugh-out-loud funny. And Noah was the perfect grumpy hero who was such a cinnamon roll deep down. The way their relationship developed was so touching and made my heart swell. I loved the setting, and after looking up photos of Annency, I must go! Pierre and Camille were such fun side characters as well. This story was just so sweet and heartwarming.

TW: Cancer, loss of a parent, parental abandonment

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

3.75 stars

French Holiday is an effervescent romantic comedy in a lush setting with some over-the-top slapstick moments. I could easily see this being made into a movie.

I enjoyed the premise and the slow building tension between the two protagonists, and think that the single POV (Merry’s) was appropriate for this particular story. However, I would have loved the epilogue to have been from Noah’s perspective. I really wanted a glimpse into his head, and into the feelings he feels for Merry.

Another tiny contention I had with the story was its (in my opinion) overuse of physical comedy. It just didn’t translate in a written format (but would perhaps be hilarious visually) in the same way that witty dialogue or banter would have. But that’s just a personal preference.

Overall, I had a great time reading this book, and am excited to read other books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC.

🏰Summary🏰
Merry just had to stand up in her sister's wedding to her best friend, the man Merry loves. She escapes her life to France after being offered 3 months to stay in a French castle owned by her godmother. But when she arrives, she isn't alone. Noah Wright, the best man in the wedding and documentarian, is already there. Noah and Merry did not hit it off so three months together in France was not at the top of Merry’s dream vacation list. After a truce is made, Noah and Merry decide to make the best of sharing the chateau, but French neighbors and a secret Noah is keeping, are just a few things making this friendship, or more, complicated.

🏰Review🏰
I adored this book. Who doesn’t dream of an extended vacation in a foreign country and finding a handsome foreign stranger to woo them? With forced proximity, unrequited love, one bed and a little enemies to lovers, this book was full of all the best tropes, and in France! Merry and her situation was relatable, I loved Noah’s arc and the little mystery in the story. It was a super fun read and I highly recommend!

A book full of escapism, romance and a few laughs thrown in. Nice to be able to get lost in a story and be taken to France with two likeable leads. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Fun read for anyone who has imagined dropping everything and starting over again. I loved the castle and the French countryside. Noah was perfection!

French Holiday is a romantic comedy, but also has the weight of unrequited love, unexpected circumstances and the search for purpose. I feel like many romances these days have dual perspectives, so this one being just from Merry's perspective was refreshing. The reader is kept guessing as to what Noah is feeling, the same as Merry, which I enjoyed. And Noah's feelings are the only mystery, as the book goes on more is revealed about why Noah and Merry each ended up at the chateau. There were a couple of side characters that I didn't enjoy at the start, but they grew on me when they became vulnerable with Merry. Overall, this is a great book for the summer reading season and would be fun to read while on vacation or even if you are just dreaming about your next travels. I recommend this book for fans of The Wedding Date and One Night on the Island.

Just when I think that a Sarah Ready book is the best, she manages to reach a new level. A ‘French Holiday’ was absolutely sublime, and I can’t stop smiling since I finished the last page.
Merry DeLuca needs to escape her life when her best friend and love of her life, marries her sister. So, when Merry is offered a three-month holiday living in a romantic castle in the French countryside, she believes that this holiday will fix everything. Until she arrives and finds Noah Wright, the best man at her sister’s wedding and the man, she wants to seriously avoid, staying at ‘her’ castle. Yet Noah refuses to leave the castle, having paid to stay for his travel documentary research. So Merry and Noah are stuck in the castle for three months. What begins as a terse arrangement, soon begins to feel like a friendship and then, so much more. Soon, Merry is missing Noah, as soon as he leaves for the day.
The transition of their relationship from friendship to love was so gradual that it seemed a foregone conclusion. As the story is told from Merry’s perspective, the author keeps Noah’s feelings tightly hidden with only subtle glances, as a means of understanding how he feels. Noah’s past is gradually revealed to Merry, and I fell in love with his character, just as Merry did. I also adored the characters of Pierre and Camille, and how their story is interwoven into that of Noah’s past. I also loved the backdrop of the French countryside and the amazing food, the latter of which had me rushing for a cookbook on apple tarte tartin.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A dilapidated French chateau (check), only one bed (check), no shower (check), no electricity (check), and add in two people who don’t get along but must share it, what could possibly go wrong? First Merry wakes up to a rat cuddling against her face and in the process of trying to escape the unexpected guest the bed gets demolished. Then she is attacked by a lobster, who is determined to not become dinner. Both of these scenes had me laughing out loud so much. Will Merry get her happily ever after? Read French Holiday to find out.
French Holiday was one of the best romantic comedies that I have ever read and I can’t wait to read more from this very talented author. I highly recommend this romantic gem to anyone who loves a good romance with some amazingly funny moments, that leave you waiting to see what other ridiculous situations the main character will find herself in next.

"French Holiday" is a delightful enemies-to-friends-to-lovers rom-com that checks all the right boxes for me. The forced proximity of Merry and Noah sharing a crumbling castle in the French countryside, combined with the classic one bed trope, creates the perfect setting for their relationship to evolve from snarky adversaries to unlikely allies to, eventually, something more.

The slow burn of their relationship was well-done and kept me eagerly turning the pages, rooting for Merry and Noah to realize their feelings for each other. And while there were moments when their banter and bickering felt a bit forced, overall it was a fun and engaging read that left me with a smile on my face.

If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers stories with plenty of witty dialogue, French pastries, and picturesque settings, then "French Holiday" is definitely worth checking out.

3.5 stars
This was a cute book, enemies to lovers and one bed. It starts out with Merry's sister, Angela, marrying the guy Merry has been best friends with and pining after (Leo). Merry doesn't like Leo's best man, Noah. Wedding is stressful, and she wakes up in his room before sneaking out.
Cue quarter life crisis where Merry quits her job and ends up at her godmother's chateau in France. And Noah is there. And it's a dump.
I liked Noah. I wish the book had been dual POV. Merry was a lot, and Angela was a mess. The book spent a lot of time on some mysteries related to the chateau, and I wish the relationship had developed sooner/earlier in the timeline of the book. It felt like they didn't get together until too close to the end.

This book is a romcom with enemies to lovers set in a French castle 😍

I’ll be honest, the first 30% of this book was s l o w… like I probably would have DFN if it wasn’t an ARC. But the last 70% was great! I got thoroughly invested in Merry and Noah as well as the mystery of Noah’s past.

Overall this story was a cute, funny love story with a happily ever after ending. If you enjoy romcoms you’ll probably like this one.

Thank you to the publisher @netgalley for a copy of this. I thought this was such a fun rom com with - forced proximity, one bed, enemies to lovers to a little bit of mystery. I love how the story started with Merry seeing her sister and her best friend getting married and having to walk the down the isle with Noah, someone Merry dislike. I really started loving the story once it was France and seeing Noah and Merry interact. The addition of Pierre and Camille brought a fun element to the story.

I was lucky enough to read this book months ago but now that the release date is close, I feel like reading it again. It's one of those books that sends you to a happy place, you know? 💜

-Charming French setting
- Banter and LOL moments
- Slow burn
- Lobster pet!!
- Forced proximity
- Surprising twists and Romance
- 4.5🌟

The story overall was such a delight! Absolutely charming, fun and heartwarming - and I kid you not, like I said, first thing I did when I finished it was to look for French destinations for a quick getaway. (It's still in the back of my mind and to do list for the year).

One of the most romantic and fun stories I have ever read. While the entire 'travel to a French chateau, find yourself and love' is the definition of a 'love story like in the movies', this has enough twists, humor and moments of laughing at how the story should unfold but how it actually does, that's hilarious, heartwarming and sweet.

Merry has this fantasy of how it would go: have a romantic get away in a fairytale-like castle, meet a French gentleman, have a whirlwind romance 'in soft focus with slow music in the background', live the true French experience with cute cobblestone streets, croisants, cheese and wine, flowy dresses and rosy cheeks. Pretty much what everyone would expect, right?

Wrong. The castle is not what it seemed in the pictures, the French gentleman is not the right love interest, the dates are disasters, nothing goes as planned, the frenemy is not really an enemy and true love is unexpected and anything but soft focus. It's awakening, deep, sizzling. 🥵

There were some moments here where i literally had to put the kindle aside and wipe my tears from laughing so hard. Pretty sure I will never see a lobster the same way again. And then there is Noah who is... everything she didn't know she wanted and more. As we don't have his POV, he gives off this aura of mystery, charm, strenght and too many layers to his personality to figure him out right away, of subtle actions hiding deeper meanings.

There is slow burn, there is passion, there is tension, banter and unexpected revelations. I loved it. You will love it. It's going to be the perfect summer vacation read and I can't wait to get a finished copy to feel again that french charm, wineyard smell and stone castle draft.

The banter, the slow burn, the tension, the revelations, the adventures, the mystery that was Noah, the charm, the little moments, it's all surprisingly perfect.

I loved it. Everyone will love it. It's going to be the perfect summer read! 💜

*thank you for the arc, all opinions are my own. Favorite quotes posted on my Instagram

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The French Holiday by Sarah Ready, is a cute enemies to lovers rom com set in France. I enjoyed the story and the characters, the author pulls you into the world easily.

Love love loved this book! At first I wasn’t convinced as I felt that this might be too fluffy for me but I fell in love as soon as Merry arrived at the chateau on lac D’Annecy! (Read that in french).

Everything was exactly how I like my romcoms- a down on her luck, vulnerable FMC, a broody, aloof MC, a potential love rival and amazingly described settings. You can tell the author put everything she could into her French research to give us an authentic French experience.

Our FMC was definitely a bit all over the place, I had some moments where I disliked her a little, I think she’s meant to come across as a cute, ditzy, endearing, unintentionally funny, desperate for that Hallmark movie love type of character which I can see might be too much for some readers, but she quickly grew on me and I didn’t mind it at the end!

I loved the deeper elements of this book, the imprint our parents leave on our life, and how we chose to understand them and manifest them into our own. I highlighted so many quotes that resonated with me and made me question how I can be better for my children hahah. Hmmm!

The romance was just so good, but it was similar in direction to other enemies to lovers trophy novels but for a sad reason, me thinks! But I didn’t care! I was there for it! The extra mystery angle was also a good addition to the story.

The writing was very lighthearted and fun! But deep and meaningful when needed. It’s Perfect lazy Sunday reading, where you wouldn’t mind escaping without leaving your comfy reading chair.


#FrenchHoliday #NetGalley Thank You, Sarah Ready. Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley

*4.5

This book was so fun and genuinely made me laugh a few times. Watching Merry slowly realize who Noah is deep down and truly fall in love with him was such a joy. All of the shenanigans that happened at the house were so funny and I want more of them. I kind of need a sequel to this where nothing bad happens, they are just together and happy the whole time.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, and Ms. Ready for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

A good word for this book is "cute." I think it was going for "charming" and frankly, it might have succeeded with most readers, but Merry (short for Meredith) veers waaaaaaay too close to my personal UNfavorite character type: the manic pixie dream girl™. She is ALL over the place. Frankly I don't see how any individual who thought she could succeed in a career in HR could be so scattered. Also, and this is once again personal, but the book pretty much lost me with the Rat Incident. WOW. (iykyk)

Seriously, though, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and sometimes it felt exhausting to read. I also STRONGLY disliked Angela and Leo at the end, and I'm glad that Merry did finally get enough courage to tell Angela the truth (although I don't think it will much matter). For me, Noah was by far the best part about the book.

Nonetheless, your mileage may vary, and I can see this being extremely popular with lots of readers. I did purchase a copy for my library and I anticipate it being a hit.

4.5/5*

This was definitely a cute read! An enemies to lovers/ forced proximity theme for this story Merry and Noah wind up staying in an old chateau in France for three months and during this time, feelings start to develop which also added the slow burn as well. These two were my favorites out of all the couples this author as written so far and probably the only side characters i liked was Jupiter and Pierre. Angela and Leo were okay up until towards the end while Camille did get on my nerves for awhile until she warmed up to me towards the end. All in all i do recommend this book if you’re into the enemies to lovers/ forced proximity/ slow burn tropes.

FRENCH HOLIDAY By Sarah Ready

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—there will be mouthwatering pastries, delicious (meaningless) flirtations, and languid strolls through vineyards at sunset. 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.

😊What i liked -

✔ Enemies To Lovers/Vacation Romance/Grumpy-Sunshine/Rom-Com
✔ OMG i died laughing in this one. There is a long list of instances that were super funny which involved cucumber, rats, lobster, cockroaches and so on.
✔ Merry was such a relatable character, Always keeping everyone else (especially her sister) before her.
✔ Noah has the silent type swoon and sexiness.
✔ I absolutely love allllll the side characters in this. (okay not all but mostly all).
✔This book is a good combination of heartaches, laughs and spicy swoon.

Audiobook :

✔ I read this book while listening to the audiobook, and let me tell you I enjoyed the book more I think because of it.
✔ Kelsey Navarro's voice is a perfect fit for Merry's character.
✔ Kelsey managed to get Merry's emotions across so well and not only her's but of the side characters too. (it was an absolute pleasure to hear)

🤔What could have been better -

✔ I had a bit of a problem with Merry's sister's character. It felt like she was left off quite easily.

📚Who Should read :
👶Beginners
💝Romance Lover
💕Enemies To Lovers Romance
🏰Vacation Romance

📈My Rating : 4/5


Thank You, Sarah Ready. Swift & Lewis Publishing and Netgalley ,for a copy.

I think what Merry feel to Leo only crush not unrequited love, he is not the one that why she never confess her feeling. I like it how Merry understand Noah, how she able to cut through his armour. The mystery about Lady in the chateau give more flavour on this book. I enjoy Merry story.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#FrenchHoliday #SarahReady #SwiftandLewisPublishing #IndependentBookPublishersAssociation #IBPA #NetGalley #ARC