It took me a little bit to get into this story, but once I did I found it enjoyable, it moved along at a good pace through multiple POV. Taylor Quinn, seemingly randomly, has traveled to Paris, a destination she has long wanted to visit, though she is without a lot of luggage and is carrying a lot of cash. Though Taylor isn't really there on her honeymoon, she has followed another couple, Cassie and Olivier, who are on their honeymoon after a real quick wedding. Taylor quickly finds out though that things are not quite so rosy in the marriage. The story goes back to Olivier who was originally from Paris and took a work opportunity to come to New York to work at a fancy hotel owned by his Paris employers. As long as he is employed, he can remain in the US. Cassie is a spoiled rotten young woman who is used to getting her own way or making people give her what she wants, she goes through people/partners until she finds them no long useful. Cassie has inherited some funds from her father who recently passed, part of that includes the building where Olivier lives in an apartment. Olivier sees an opportunity to stay in the US and convinces Cassie to marry him. There are a lot of twists that I didn't see, Taylor's back story fills in why she followed them to Paris, and the ending was good, I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

So this wasn’t my favorite but I also didn’t hate it. I personally think Paris is a bit more magical than the author wrote it to be but that’s just me. I loved the twists and turns and up until the last chapter I was truly stumped.

the french honeymoon by anne-sophie jouhanneau follows taylor quinn as she arrives at her honeymoon suite in paris alone, without a suitcase or even a husband for that matter. but she does have lots of stolen cash. and then we have cassie and olivier, the newlyweds who are honeymooning in paris and having the best time. cassie is making sure that everyone sees it as she posts everything about her picture-perfect trip on social media, it is almost as if she's doing it to prove something...

taylor catches a glimpse of them while they're both in paris and she can't help it, she becomes completely obsessed with them and she starts following them during their honeymoon and cassie makes this so easy.

this is everything taylor had dreamed of; the perfect life, the perfect honeymoon, the perfect husband, the perfect marriage. but not everything is as it seems and the illusion shatters for taylor, and us the readers, when taylor overhears an argument between cassie and olivier which reveals that they're not the lovestruck couple they pretend to be.

even i can't deny that this book had amazing plot twists but it was a bit slow at times and having cassie, taylor, and olivier's pov was a handful. i got lost you know. but it was ok because i got to learn more and more about these complex characters.

and oh was cassie a complex character, i hated her, i hated her so much but i can't lie the author did an amazing job with her; she was beautifully written. honestly, the writing was so good.

i did not like olivier either, he was so selfish, i mean so were cassie lol. that is all i have to say about him.

and finally, we have "taylor" i liked her, i really did but she also had her baggage, and she was not without fault in the book. BUT i'm not gonna get into it because i don't wanna spoil it for you, so you'll have to read the book and see for yourself.

all three of them had their flaws and i guess that is what makes the book realistic in a way. even tho at times, it seemed far-fetched...

i really enjoyed this book and i seriously devoured it in one day as i could not wait to see how it ended, and boy it ended in a way i was not expecting.

thank you netgalley and sourcebooks for the arc!

This book seemed like it was written by two different people, the beginning was, slower but much more intriguing for me, trying to figure out why Taylor had this money and what the relationships were between the three of them, and then the story, became more clear but to me, less well written and more melodramatic and not believable. 3.5

I read this on my own honeymoon and it was the perfect pool side read. There were twists happening left and right, some I was able to see coming but quite a few that had my jaw dropping too. The multiple POV provided just the right amount of suspense. I couldn’t get enough! Definitely one I would recommend.

Taylor Quinn arrives in Paris for her honeymoon alone, carrying stolen cash. She becomes obsessed with a seemingly perfect couple, Cassie and Olivier, but soon realizes their relationship is not what it seems. As Taylor gets caught up in their secrets, she puts herself in danger with no way out...

This book, a slow-burning read, failed to ignite the flames of passion within me. As a resident alien myself, I was intrigued by the concept of a marriage between beings from different worlds. Yet, despite the promising premise, something crucial was lacking. I found myself unable to be fully captivated by the story, struggling to maintain interest as I trudged through its pages.

The characters, with their unlikable and unrelatable traits, failed to resonate with me. The portrayal of the evil sister and her possessive nature left me feeling disconnected from the narrative. It seemed as though the book simply did not speak to me, failing to draw me into its world.

However, I still believe that every reader should give this book a chance. After all, we all have different tastes and preferences when it comes to literature. Despite my own reservations, I must admit that the cover art was quite appealing.

In conclusion, while this book may not have been my cup of tea, I encourage others to explore its pages and form their own opinions. Who knows, perhaps you will find something within its depths that speaks to you in ways it could not for me.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have loved Paris since before I ever visited, and I have visited many times over the years. I also have a deep love of thrillers. When I read the description of the novel, it sounded like two of my loves would be perfectly joined.

3* for being average both in terms of the Paris element and the thriller aspect. The book was somewhat slow moving, and the characters were not compelling. The novel is told from multiple points of view, but with characters who were hard to like, this did not add to the development of the book. It is possible the author's intent was to make none of the characters enjoyable, but to what end? The novel was also a light/diet version of a thriller which somewhat lacked in atmosphere and sense of place of Paris overall. As with all books intended as thrillers, there is what I supposed was meant to be a twist, but it was easy to discern pretty early on and was not much of a reveal.

It was an okay way to pass the time, but I am not likely to pursue another book by the author based on my experience with The French Honeymoon.

I love love 😍🥰 to read books set in Paris with sexy men and beautiful places. The French Honeymoon definitely filled these boxes.
These deliciously wicked and twisted characters with there own personal agendas and plotting had me full on edge 🤩😑😩.
The reveals which I did guess but it for sure took me by surprise. Although I did wish for the suspense to have been built more. The last few chapters did feel rushed for me but, That ending though UFFF!!!!! 🤯😳😎🙌. It kept me guessing so much wow!!!😲✨.
I loved the drama that was going on between these three and the whole book was popcorn worthy read.
I'M CONTEMPLATING BETWEEN 3.75 TO 4 STARS.
Perfect for the fans of Fredia McFadden, or if you like unsympathetic characters with more of character driven thriller, with drama and so much scheming this is definitely worth checking out.
.
Also I did find few typos, hope so they will be edited before publication.
📚
Blurb :
Sometimes, Paris is a terrible idea.
This is not how she imagined it, any of it. Taylor Quinn arrives at her honeymoon suite in the City of Love alone, sans suitcase, but with wads of stolen cash. When she catches a glimpse of newlyweds Cassie and Olivier enjoying their happily ever, she can't tear her eyes away. And Cassie makes their antics easy to follow as she reveals every detail of their picture-perfect trip on social media. Taylor's obsession builds as she tracks their every move. This was the kind of life she was supposed to be living, this was the marriage she should have had, this was the honeymoon she dreamed of.
The illusion is shattered when she overhears a heated argument between Cassie and Olivier, which reveals that they're not the lovestruck couple they pretend to be. But Cassie and Olivier have agendas of their own and Taylor can't see the danger in getting in the middle of this until it's too late. And now, no one will get out of Paris unscathed.
.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this ARC

2.5 stars rounded up. I love Paris, and I love mystery thrillers, but I found this novel challenging to get through. The characters are unlikable (though admittedly I think purposefully so), the plot is a bit too preposterous, and I think the novel length itself could have been a bit shorter. That being said, I could easily see a film or limited series adaption of The French Honeymoon being commercially successful.

“Sometimes, Paris is a terrible idea.”

The cover and the synopsis pulled me in, but the slow-burn, character-driven story wasn’t enough for me to get lost in the narrative.

I think being on the top end of the Gen-X classification means that I view the whole ‘picture perfect life’ so many Millennials and Gen-Z are striving to portray, as laughable. I also prefer a tautly paced suspense novel that keeps my heart rate elevated and my mind reeling. Keep this in mind when you give weight to my review.

I can’t put my finger on what was missing to make this book memorable for me. The beautiful descriptions of macarons from Laduree had me drooling and wishing I was able to get my hands on a box containing such a “festival of colors.”. I was curious about marriage fraud, a honeymoon gone wrong and even more about how newlyweds could be so bent on murder after only knowing each other briefly. It wasn’t the characters; I enjoy reading about unlikeable characters. It wasn’t the ending; I enjoy ambiguous endings where I can surmise what could have happened with the windfall. I think it comes down to the uneven pacing; it ruined the impact for me.

This book had me appreciating my relationship and my marriage. I realize that I want to be careful with my expectations. I don’t want the fantasy version I portray or imagine to overshadow reality. I also want to question the motives for my social media presence.

The execution may be lacking in my opinion, but the story certainly has potential.

I was gifted this copy by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

3.5
Fast paced thriller with multiple POVs. Unlikeable characters
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The French Honeymoon releases April 15, 2025

The French Honeymoon: a good book with unlikeable characters. The first half of this book read like a melodrama, then veers into thriller territory for an eventful second half. Told from multiple POVs, we learn that Cassie, a wannabe influencer, has met and married Olivier. Cassie wants to make her ex jealous, Olivier wants his green card. The two jet off to Paris on their honeymoon, but Cassie's sister, Taylor, is lurking in the shadows and watching their every move. There are a couple diabolical twists, and I loved the ending.

These people are truly awful, and I rooted for no one. I feel like we're supposed to identify with Taylor a bit, but I found her as whiny and insufferable as Cassie, though in a very different way. Cassie shouldn't have gotten away with half of what she did, being so dumb and childish. The reader needs to suspend some disbelief for this story to truly enjoy it because some of what happens is so unbelievable even a smart con artist would have trouble getting away with it. I enjoyed the setting and think this could easily be adapted to a film.

A multiple POV story about a woman alone on her honeymoon in Paris and a newlywed couple she sees in supposed marital bliss. Billed as "The Paris Apartment meets A Simple Favor," I expected this to be a thriller. It's much more of a literary fiction with some mystery/thriller elements. I don't think The Paris Apartment is a good comparison in terms of tone or pacing. This was a slow burn, character driven story. It was fine, but not what I was expecting or wanting.

Recommended for fans of more literary thrillers/mysteries and for fans of more unlikeable, unsympathetic characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

While this thriller is highly predictable I still feel like I was invested in the story and I really enjoyed reading. The characters were interesting and the author wrote enough twists to keep me eagerly turning the pages. I love the idyllic setting of Paris, I mean come on who wouldn't want to go to Paris for your honeymoon? The ending left me feeling a bit confused and I think unfinished but I reread it and decided that it can be left up to your own interpretation which I feel is exciting and different.

If you like thrillers, The French Honeymoon is a good option for a more unique trope! I like that this book incorporated different topics that you don’t usually see in a thriller; immigration, forbidden love, big city (hello, NYC and Paris)! This is a quick and easy weekend read that I’d recommend to someone who loves thrillers, but wants to change things up a bit.

An interesting idea, but a little too unbelievable in my opinion. I also didn’t like any characters by the end, and I think I was supposed to?

What a fun book. I really enjoyed it. I felt like I was whisked away to Paris on my own vacation. This book is a plot-based book, and I felt that it was really propelled forward by the interesting tidbits in the plot. I spent the first 60% of the book or so trying to figure out how the pieces were all going to come together, then the first twist hit, and I was hooked and in for the long haul. I could not believe that there was a twist on the final page, it was so fantastic. The plot was really suspenseful, and I was so invested. I couldn’t wait to see how things worked out and the twists were fantastic. I do think that if you are the guess twists type you will see some of them coming, but not all of them! There are just some pretty good clues along the way, which did not take away from my reading experience. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters from their points of view. I loved that we got Cassie, Taylor, and Olivier. It was fantastic to hear the story from all their perspectives and made it feel like such a well-rounded thriller.

Don’t read the author’s note at the end, or any of the discussion questions until you’ve finished the book because there are spoilers!

Moral of the story: Don't post live location updates on social media (duh).

Surprised to see a French author portraying Paris in such a cliché way, but maybe this is because most of the story is written from the POV of two very unlikeable Americans. However, even in the French character's POV some things were overexplained:
-"The tax office—the French equivalent of the IRS"
-"Football (European football I mean, aka soccer)"

This thriller was short and had enough surprises to keep the reader's interest. The ending was also open to interpretation, which I enjoyed.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC!

I'm a simple person: I see a mystery/thriller set in Paris, I pick it up. Unfortunately this book evoked Paris so shallowly that it almost felt like the author got the entirety of her knowledge of the city from 2015-era Instagram posts. This cannot be the case as the author is actually French. I'm sure a part of this is that one of the main narrators, Cassie, who is so unlikable as to tip right over into basically intolerable, treats the trip as an opportunity to go shopping at designer stores we also have in the US and get shots of like, the plates at Cafe de Flore, and that's about it.

People, I'm trying to daydream at least a little bit over here. Can we at least get a pleasant evening walk along the Seine?

Unfortunately the "twists" in this book were all of the sort where in order to pull them off we get (more than once) a POV character having to be like 'hehe, gotcha' as something is revealed that surely would have come up in that character's thought processes if not for the sake of the narrative needing it to be a surprise. Also the event upon which this story hinges (the honeymoon-prompting marriage itself) is so unbelievable from the jump that it feels like the narrative is constantly bending over backwards to explain why these flighty insane people would commit to anything like this ever.

Readable but ultimately annoying. 2.5 rounded up, whatever.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC.

A very different story than I’m used to. I enjoyed the different POV’s and was pleased with the twist (I didn’t see it coming, but I don’t try too hard to figure it out before hand, cause where’s the fun if I do that?) and the characters (especially Cassi) were easy to dislike. The end you’ll either love or hate, but I dare say it’ll stick with you either way.
While it wasn’t the most polished story I’ve ever read and the end felt a bit rushed I highly recommended giving it a try! My opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.