📖 Cute story with a feel good happy ending all the way around
📖 It felt very slow for me, I was over half way done and still waiting for something to happen
📖 Unrequited love
📖 I did love the location and supporting characters quite a bit

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. I was very excited about reading this book but wow it was a sure miss for me. I absolutely cannot stand the main female character or the main male character also. And the plot is absolutely so unrealistic. The main female lead is 30 years old and she acts like a teenager.

When Merry's sister marries her best friend, the man she is currently in love with, Merry doesn't know how she can move on. When the opportunity to live in a French castle arrives, Merry embraces it wholeheartedly and leaves as soon as she can. But she doesn't expect the castle to be so rundown and needing so much work. She also doesn't expect travel documentarian and best man, Noah, to be there as well. I won't say any more :)

This was a super sweet destination romance. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of both the audio and ebook so I spent most of it reading while listening along. The narration was excellent and the author's writing style is commendable, emphasised by my struggle to put this one down. I loved both our main characters and loved the ending. I'm definitely keen to read more by Sarah Ready!

Where do I even start with this adorable story? If ever you've dreamt of leaving your life behind just for a little while to breathe in some delicious tiny-provincial-French-town air whilst eating fresh baguettes and brie.. French Holiday is the book for you!

More than brain candy, but less than a dramatically heavy romance, Sarah Ready created a swoon-worthy romance ripe for the 'one-bed-trope' rom-com lovers everywhere. Set in a 'romantic' (i.e. scary with cockroaches the size of mice) mid-evil French castle, Merry must figure out what it means to really be in love and to have confidence in herself. She's the girl that has to learn to love herself and let things go! (Very much giving 'Something Borrowed' vibes? But without the cheating.)

-- I also love that we get to see the importance of kicking that thankless corporate job to the curb if you can once you realize that it's no longer getting you to that next step in life!!

For the girl next door pretty types that mayyy be just a smidgeon in love with the guys that don't necessarily see them for the gems they are.. you'll find your happiness on day with stories like French Holiday along the way to keep you company!!

NOTES:
- Travel inspiration! (Set in a lovely little French town)
- 🌶️🌶️/5 - Lot of tension and a great ending!!
- Nemesis to lovers / Definitely made me laugh a few times!!
- Fast read / listen (would be a great audiobook!!)

**Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

When I first saw this book, I'll admit that I judged it by the cover. I thought this would be a frilly, very light read that didn't send the butterflies tingling in my heart. However, after reading the entire novel in two sittings, in one day, I have to say that this read was phenomenal. I gave it four stars, closer to 4.5, because the added spooky concept of the story didn't seem to fit quite as well, but I appreciated the effort.
I loved the scenery descriptions in the story - I've never been to the setting where the book is set, but it felt as if I could truly see it in my mind. The descriptions were a stunning portrayal and made the story extremely enjoyable. This novel was incredible and I loved how the stories of the characters played out.

What a perfect read! I accidentally read this in one sitting because I could not put it down. Merry and Noah were delightful to read about - their banter was sparkling and their characters seemed fleshed out. The ambience of French Holiday was just lovely, with such vivid descriptions of life in the countryside. It made me want to move to France, start a garden, and drink stovetop coffee. Ready reimagines some classic romance novel tropes for a light, funny, and charming read.

I don't even know where to begin with this book!

I wasn't loving life at the very beginning (nothing worse than the heroine's sister getting together with the the heroine's love interest right at the beginning of the story, am I right?) and I was desperate for her to get over Leo (and under Noah).

Merry and Noah's story though... Perfect. I loved the added intrigue around Thomas Arnout and actually really enjoyed Camille and Pierre too.

Noah is my perfect type of hero - starts off as a seemingly gruff cynic and then turns out to be a sensitive, good-hearted dream.

As always, I hate first person narrative but this was so well written that I quickly stopped realising that it was written in first person because it was just amazingly written.

I am now desperate to read everything by this author and am so looking forward to reading more of her work!

Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing , Netgalley and Sarah Ready for the eARC.

Are you ready for a break from everything ?

The books follows Merry and Noah. It’s a kinda enemies to lovers kind of story.

Merry taught she loved her best friend Leo but that is not true. She needs to learn to love herself and not think she is an ugly duckling. That three month vacation to France is what she needs. You add Noah to the mix and boom a love story.

“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.”

I received an ARC from #netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Merry has been in love with her best friend Leo for years but never tells him. One day Leo meets Merry’s sister Angela & in the span of a few weeks, they decide to marry. Merry is heartbroken over this but keeps her feelings to herself.

During the wedding ceremonies, she meets Noah, Leo’s best friend from college. Merry thinks Noah hates her, but they spend some time together during the reception & imbibe a bit too much. Merry wakes up the next morning in bed with Noah & thinks they had a one-night stand—she disappears from the room without talking to Noah.

Weeks later, her job has turned toxic so she quits. Additionally, Angela & Leo tell her they’re having a baby. With encouragement from her godmother, Jupiter, she goes to stay at Jupiter's chateau for three months to get over her heartbreak & figure out her next steps.

Upon arriving at the chateau, she finds Noah there. Jupiter tells Merry she forgot she rented the place to him for the next few months as he completes research for a documentary he’s making. Neither is willing to leave so they decide to make it work. Noah informs her, the place is decrepit, only one room is habitable, & there’s only one mattress that they’ll have to share.

What ensues, is an adorable & funny love story. Merry has the funniest things happen to her, like escaping lobsters, or accidentally knocking down a wall with a book. Noah always tends to show up as these events are happening & saves the day. They begin to understand one another & feel like they can share things that they can’t tell anyone else. Merry, has unrequited love patterns due to her dad abandoning her. Leo, has trouble opening up because of his last moments with his mom & never knowing his dad.

While the story is going on, we also learn that Leo is researching a missing artist. The mystery of it all threads through most of the story & comes to a lovely & heartfelt conclusion.

I did enjoy this story, but there was an overuse of metaphors & similes that just started to annoy me. Sometimes, you just need to call a thing a thing & not be so colorful about it, but that’s just me. Overall, it was a cute story & an easy read.

I have struggled with my rating of this a bit.
It's actually a cute, funny, lighthearted romcom with a mystery subplot and some of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, and one bed!

That said, it's a bit too long. 450+ pages is much too long for a romcom. It needed some major condensing. In addition, the large cast of side characters seemed a bit unnecessary. Lastly, there were some parts that were just a bit too contrived. I won't say more in fear of spoiling things, but a lot of what went on here just wouldn't happen.

In the end, it was well written and enjoyable enough, so I think a lot of people will like this one, especially if they're able to overlook the parts that are a bit unrealistic. 💗

Thank you NetGalley and W.W. Crown for my gifted eARC and ALC.

Merry and Noah are the perfect detective pair and I love them! I have been loving the romance books that discuss romance tropes, books, and movies within the plot point and this book does that. Poor Merry watching the man she loves marry her sister, but go her for getting a free trip to France. Loved the dynamic between Merry and Noah, especially once they started to open up to each other and really get to know one another. Ends with an HEA!

Merry and Noah’s story is fun and exciting. A little fast paced in terms of the relationship for me (seemed to be a trend with this book, with Angela and Leo too) but I enjoyed it! I liked the mystery aspect with Noah’s backstory - it was a nice change from the usual romance books I read. Overall a very enjoyable read!

I understand living in your sisters shadow. This was a cute coming into your self book. Nothing special, but cute.

When Merry has to see her best friend Leo, marry her sister, her unrequited love is set in stone.. Or so she thinks.
An old chateau in France, a guy named Pierre, food and wine gives life a new perspective. Specially when Noah is also in France, who happens to be the one friend of Leo she can't figure out.

This book is truly about love, and not just romantic love. It's an adorable sweet book with humor and honesty.

Meredith always looked at herself as less interesting and less attractive then her sister Angela. Angela on the other hand has always led a charmed life getting what she wants, including Merry's love Leo. On Angela's wedding day, Merry gets so drunk she winds up in bed with her worst enemy - Noah Wright. Then at work she has to be the person who tells many of her co-workers they are terminated. With all this hanging over her head, she decides to flee to France and have an adventure for herself. Her aunt Jupiter tells her she can stay in the chateau in Annecy her aunt has purchased. Thrilled with the prospect, Merry finds two uncomfortable things when she arrives. The chateau is a wreck and Noah Wright is living in it. A fun, cute romance.

The phrase 'Impossible n'est pas français!' is one that will stick with me for a long time after finishing this book. With its perfect blend of spice and love, this romantic comedy had all the quirky charm I look for in the genre. As I read, I found myself transported to France, craving café au lait and plenty of baguettes with Brie. The story follows the classic enemy-to-friends-to-lovers trope, with the added twist of a surprising murder mystery subplot that kept me on my toes 😏

Normally I do not read romance books, however I am attempting to read what I normally would not.
This book was cute, quirky, and just a quick read. I enjoyed Merry as a lot of mannerisms and sayings are things I do myself, so I related to her. Everything felt very rushed, but that's common in romance books since everyone wants a Happily Ever After, so I don't fault it for that.
I now want a pet lobster named Louis.

French Holiday by Sarah Ready (coming out April 26, 2023)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

Have you ever wanted to take a vacation from real life? That’s exactly what Merry does when she feels overwhelmed by her life. She borrows her godmother’s flight plan and runs away to France for the summer. What she didn’t plan on was her real-life villain Noah Wright crashing her fairytale summer. With missing artists, ferocious lobsters, and cucumber weapons, will Merry find her “coup de foudre”?

I adored this story because there have been many times that I was tempted to run away from real life. Merry is perfectly awkward and relatable, the setting is awe-inspiring, and the mystery in the air is palpable. After all, who doesn’t wish for a little magic sometimes?

#bookstagram #romcoms #sarahreadyauthor #romancebooks #bookreview

I loved this romance! It's a long but really good read. It has some mystery, some drama, some philosophy, and a slow burn romance. Believe it or not, my favorite character is a side character, Louie, and despite my love for the book, I would have loved an additional chapter with him playing a prominent role in the story.

This is a perfect romance to pick up on vacation or at the beach. Merry is in love with her best friend, but after he marries her sister, she escapes to a chateau in France for three months. But once she arrives she finds Noah, the best man, is also staying at the castle while doing research for a project.

This was fun with lots of tension, forced proximity, and unrequited love. They slowly establish a friendship and heal from their own personal heartaches, finding love along the way. The dilapidated castle and mysterious artist element adds to their chaos and adventures. Cute story overall and I recommend picking it up! This was my first by Sarah Ready but I look forward to reading more of her books!

Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy.