A fun, romantic story set in a crumbling French mansion, this is a sweet, engaging read. While enemies-to-lovers romance books don't always land, this one did, with realistic and interesting character arcs, and good character growth. With a great cast of supporting characters and a charming (and unusual) setting, this is a perfect summer read to enjoy with a nice glass of rose.

This is such a lovely book. Poor broken hearted Merry arrives in France for a break after her best friend (unrequited love) Leo marries her sister. She is staying at her god mothers chateau but on arrival, she comes face to face with Noah (Leo's best friend and Merry's enemy). Forced proximity, beautiful descriptions of France and a couple I was rooting for. Very sweet and very readable. Highly recommend. Thank you to Netgalley.

If ever there was a book that made me want to hop on a plane to France, this is it!

I could smell the dents and I could feel the grass in my toes.

Sarah Ready does a magnificent job of brining the pages to life.

A sweet story turns mystery turns… you’ll have to read it and see. Super fun read. I’m ready to find a chateau in the south east of France and go!

I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Merry leaves for a french holiday after her sister marries her best friend Leo (the man she has been in unrequited love with for four years.) There, she is stuck in a chateau with her sort-of enemy Noah (best friend of Leo and best man at the wedding.)

For me, this book had such an interesting plot beyond the usual romance storyline. I loved the slow burn and the twists this book took. The ending was really satisfying.

I read this by the pool and would highly recommend picking up a copy to read this summer. ☀️

⭐️ 4.5/5 stars ⭐️

This was a lovely enemies to lovers story and was a very enjoyable read. Most of the story takes place in France, and Ms. Ready really did a nice job of setting up the scenes and taking her readers on a trip through the French countryside. Merry needed a reprieve from her life. Her sister married her best friend and really the only guy she's ever loved. She needed to get away from everything, so when Merry's godmother asks her to go to France in her place for a modeling opportunity, she doesn't hesitate and gladly takes the vacation. This is exactly what she needs and very much looks forward to enjoying her holiday in a castle and soaking up all the French goodness. That is to say until Noah is in the picture. He was the groom's best man at her sister's wedding and the most annoying human on earth, and he is apparently staying at the same castle. They come to an understanding and agree to cohabitate peacefully for three months, then go there separate ways. Funny thing, though, spending all that time in close proximity and they begin to see each other much differently and certain feelings start to develop. Merry begins to think Noah isn't such a bad guy after all!
A very charming and delightful story that kept my attention from start to finish. The characters were entertaining and endearing and I enjoyed following them on their journey. Glad to have had the opportunity to read this one!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book! The tension between Merry and Noah was great, and they had some pretty good banter back and forth when they were together. There were just enough enemies-to-lovers vibes without crossing any lines and to where you could fully believe that they 1. are definitely not so subtly in denial about their feelings and 2. will end up in a solid and cute relationship as the book progresses. Sarah Ready's writing was also very fun and light, and especially humorous (I'm looking at you, garden cucumber scene; I actually laughed out loud when I first read that). I will say that Merry's "I need to escape my current circumstances and flee to my godmother's French chateau that seems entirely too good to be true" attitude was unrealistic, but when the guy you're in love with, your best friend, gets married to YOUR SISTER (!!!) who only met him once before they got engaged (???), it's easy to excuse her mental breakdown and desire to start somewhere new. I would've needed to go to France if that happened to me too, honestly. (I also have many thoughts about Merry's sister, Angela, but suffice it to say: she needs to rein in her envy! Yikes!!)

The second half of the book, however, felt completely out of place? It was almost as if the author got swapped around the 40-50% mark and left an entirely new book in their wake. Why was there a random family mystery that needed to get solved?? There was a meddling French woman who was constantly described as smelling of apples??? And why did the slow-burn romance suddenly get put on 3x speed and three minutes after they kiss they're saying "I love you"??? I don't know. There was just so much randomness going on––including a pet lobster with scenes that went on for far too long––that overshadowed the whole initial point of the book. I also wasn't a fan of how each chapter eventually ended so abruptly, too. I started to feel like the chapters weren't wrapped up nicely or they lacked good transitions to the next chapter, almost like slamming a telling-not-showing door in our faces.

I would've really liked to see the romance remain the focal point of the story because I loooved Merry and Noah's banter and their flirting, and have some of the less important and random subplots be cut out. But it was an overall good read, and one that I would recommend to anyone interested in an enemies-to-lovers book set in a dusty French chateau that stans forced proximity. Just don't get caught by surprise over the family/artist mystery and meddling neighbors' subplots like I did, haha.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my review!

One word: swoon. I absolutely love Sarah Ready’s books and this book was no different. She is a reliable romance writer that will make you smile every time. This is a story of love lost and with an enemies to lovers trope. This book had beautiful descriptions of the French countryside, allowing the reader to almost transport there. FRENCH HOLIDAY was cozy, and absolutely hilarious.

After Merry’s sister married her best friend and the man she’s loved as long as she can remember, she jumps at the opportunity to escape on a 3 month vacation living in a castle in the French countryside. When she arrives she finds the best man at the wedding, Noah, is also staying at the castle. They agree to a truce despite not getting along, and decide they will both continue to live in the castle for the next 3 months and act as friends for that time. But as they spend more time together they start to genuinely care for each other.

Sarah Ready’s humor always has me laughing out loud while I read. Some parts of the story were completely chaotic and ridiculous (hello lobster, I’m looking at you) but I was also here for it. This book was a lot of fun and the mix of mystery, self-growth, and romance was done so well. I was engaged in this story all the way from the

Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the advance copy.

This was a fun enemies-to-lovers romance that takes place in and around a wedding. A great romantic comedy and a fun summer read.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was reminded me of the movie 27 Dresses, and I really enjoyed it. Merry (28) and Noah (28) were each exactly what the other needed. And they were both good, kind, smart people. I loved seeing them butt heads and then become friends and help each other. Their banter and interactions felt completely believable, both when they got along and when they didn't. I loved Merry's determination to be more direct in her communications with people. You know how sometimes you read a book and think, "If only you'd just talk to each other, this wouldn't have happened"? Merry is exactly the character you're looking for. And I loved Noah's care and kindness, even when he was helping Merry with something that messed up his own plans. Although I had unfriendly feelings towards some characters at times in the book (looking at you Angela, Camille, and Pierre), it felt like the annoyance I'd have towards a real person who acted as they did. It was all very natural, and everything made sense.

And Louis the lobster made me laugh.

This book isn't just about Merry and Noah's relationship, however. Each of them has something else to work out. The whole reason Merry goes to France is to try to get over Leo, the best friend who's marrying her sister. I won't say what Noah is doing there. As with the characters themselves, all of the conflict is very realistic and feels natural rather than forced just for the sake of more pages.

I always approach books like this with some hesitancy because so many of what's considered "chick lit" is full of swearing and sex. But this book really surprised me. It had very minimal swearing (easily PG level). Unfortunately, it did have some sex, but it was contained to one brief chapter (ch. 48) which can easily be skipped.

Sarah Ready will definitely be on my list when I'm looking for a new book to read. I think this would make a really great movie, too, but only if chapter 48 is glossed over; otherwise, I'll sadly have to miss it.

Note: A little language. Some references to sex. One brief chapter of moderate sex to skip (chapter 48).

I enjoyed reading French Holiday by Sarah Ready. The story and characters are wonderful. Happy reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

This was a cute summer read, taking place in the French countryside. The author did a great job showcasing a holiday in a one bedroom chateau and playing with that trope. There was great chemistry and there's also a funny side character in the godmother. I thought it was a good take on enemies to friends to lovers. I think it stuck out more than some other rom-coms that have taken abroad lately, so big kudos to the author.

📖My Thoughts📖

Romance books are always a good way to put a smile on your face and get lost in when you need it. This one did just that. I completely got lost in this one. I’ll be honest, the two things that drew me to this book were the fact that it was a romance novel (one of my favorite genres) but even more importantly, a huge part of it took place in France. How could you not love that? It’s perfect! It had the “enemies to lovers” trope, which is also one of my favorites. I loved the characters and the storyline was so entertaining and fun. What’s not to love? It’s like THE perfect formula for a book! With summer creeping up on us, I would strongly recommend you pick this one up for a beach or vacation read! It won’t disappoint! This was my first book by this author, but it most certainly won’t be the last!
Thank you Netgalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and Sarah Ready for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was our first read by Sarah Ready and we’ll be exploring more of her stories after falling in love with French Holiday. Merry and Noah (talk about swoon!) stole our hearts. We loved their complicated slow burn enemies to lover’s romance. In fact, we loved the mystery, the unrequited love and all the other themes Sarah Ready so beautifully wove into French Holiday.


Meredith ‘Merry’ De Luca has been in love with her best friend Leo for years – on the verge of revealing her feelings, Leo meets Merry’s sister Angela, and it’s love at first sight. He’s completely besotted by her and instead of fulfilling her love story with Leo, Merry is forced to watch her sister walk down the aisle with Leo, and she’s crushed.

Merry is offered the opportunity to head to France and spend some time in her godmother Jupiter’s Chateau. To regroup and find herself. However, she didn’t count on Leo’s best friend Noah Wright being her housemate. Merry had a run in with Noah at her sister’s wedding and he grates on her every nerve. He’s a grumpy closed book, and Merry’s none to pleased at the living arrangements.

However, there’s so much to the gorgeous Noah Wright, and Merry slowly gets him to open up and show her the ‘real’ Noah, not just the charismatic travel presenter he reveals to world. Plus, Noah is on a journey of his own, one that leads him to discover parts of himself that’s been a mystery.

Told in single person POV from Merry’s perspective, French Holiday was a fun, romantic escape. We felt as though we were there in the crumbling Chateau, baguette in hand with Merry, Noah and the people from the village. The mystery element was a beautiful addition to the fun, emotion and romance this author created. What a great introduction to a new to us author!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
SPICE: 🔥🔥.5

Merry DeLuca's life is currently a hot dumpster fire. The cherry on top of said fire is that her sister Angela is getting married to Merry's best friend Leo. The same Leo that Merry has been crushing on for years.

When her grandmother offers her an escape plan, she immediately jumps at the opportunity to spend three months at a French castle and away from the newlyweds and her problems. Unfortunately for Merry, the castle turns out to be a one-bedroom chateau and she is sharing it with Leo's unbearable best man Noah Wright.

Noah refuses to leave so they eventually come to a truce. A truce that eventually leads to friendship and something more.

This read was like taking a trip to the French countryside and witnessing two people navigate around the tension between them. I love taking the journey from enemies to friends to lovers, and with Sarah Ready integrating wonderful details about the backdrop in a well-paced story, this read went by so quickly for me.

As someone who has pined for someone for a long time, I can totally relate to Merry's situation with Leo, but I was completely thrilled for her to find love with someone who loved her as fiercely. Sarah Ready did a great job of establishing the contrast between Merry's dry relationship with Leo vs. her sizzling chemistry with Noah even when they're at each other's throats.

I love the well-balanced mix of romance, comedy, and even a small side of mystery. This standalone read was such a fun, quick read. If you love enemies-to-lovers romcom with a wonderful backdrop of France, this is a great summer read for you.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Sarah Ready, Swift and Lewis Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

Enemies, a rundown French countryside chateau and only one bed? Sign me up. The scheming godmother (boy was she right!) placing Merry and Noah in the same spot, the friendship they build, complete with some will they won't they tension (did i mention the one bed?) and a kiss on a bridge that legend says they're meant to be together forever 🥰🫠🥰.

I've had some of Sarah Ready's books on my tbr for a while but this is the first of hers I've read and it did not disappoint! A perfect summer vacation read!

Thank you Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Merry’s life is in a fast free fall: her sister just married the only man Merry has ever loved and she doesn’t know what to do with herself now. So when Merry is offered the opportunity to stay at a French Chateau, she immediately jumps at the chance. The only problem is that once she arrives, there’s another guest: the best man at the wedding and Merry’s new enemy.

What I liked the most about this book was how vividly it described the chateau and it’s surrounding. You really felt like you were exploring the French countryside, but that didn’t stop the book from embracing it’s comedic side. It’s a delicate balance that I really feel like Sarah Ready pulled off.

What frustrated me about the book was how quickly it seemed to wrap up. I can’t really explain what parts I wanted more time with, without spoilers, but I would have loved a little bit more at the end.

I received this as an ARC form NetGalley! This book was super cute especially if your into simple romance with a happy ending. Spice level is a 1 and I definitely think some of the book could have been removed. Overall a cute slow burn but it was enjoyable! This book is something i would recomend to YA audances who are looking for a cute summer read thats simple to follow along to.

Enemies-to-lovers, best friend's friend, forced proximity, a crumbling chateau/castle, and France all come together for this new, delightful book from Sarah Ready.

I love when romance books have a bit of a mystery plotline, which this one does, in addition to the HEA and the character growth that we see from both Merry and Noah.

At the beginning of the book, Merry definitely read as a pushover and a people pleaser (which is definitely what the author was going for!) and I really wasn't sure what would happen to get Merry to show some conviction, stand up for herself, and move on from the unrequited love she felt for her best friend, Leo, who married her sister (after meeting her one day and announcing their engagement the next....I'm throwing some side eye there).

With the influence/encouragement from her godmother, Jupiter (umm... can we have her life story in a book, please?), Merry jumps on a plane to France to stay at Jupiter's chateau for a few months to get her life back on track. And maybe fall in love with a Frenchman. What she doesn't expect is that Noah, Leo's friend who's actions have indicated an intense dislike for Merry, is already there, having rented the place for a few months. From Jupiter. Whoops.

Noah has his own reasons for being there, and the two decide to co-habit the place, including sharing the one bed.

The book, told through Merry's POV, is a fun romp, with humour mixed amongst the more serious reflections and conversations as we learn why Merry is a pushover and what Noah is really doing in France. There's flirtations with locals; baguettes, cheese and wine consumed; adventuring to find clues to solve Noah's mystery; forced proximity; a cat (!); a rogue lobster, and more.

I really enjoyed how the third-act conflict was done, with a bit of a red herring and then some subtle callbacks to earlier conversations between Noah and Merry. It was definitely not the conflict I expected, but it really worked out well.

All in all, a fun book and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it!

thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the eARC and ALC.

French Holiday by Sarah Ready

I read this book whilst away on holiday, and it was the perfect vacation read.

This is your typical, light-hearted romance book with lovable characters and a surprisingly good mysterious storyline hidden beneath the surface.

Merry and Noah were great characters both separately and as a couple. I absolutely loved their flirty banter and it was nice to see a hater-to-love storyline that didn't involve horrible insults being hurled about. I started off the book disliking Camille as a character but grew to love her by the end. Pierre was a nice addition, with the storyline that unfolded between him and Camille being a lovely and heart-warming inclusion to this book.

The setting of the French castle was also a nice touch, as was the use of the lobster, which made me proper laugh out loud.

I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars because I just thoroughly enjoyed it and could not put it down. Would highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.