Really unlikable characters and an open/ambiguous ending killed this one for me. A fun mindless thriller that warns against updating where you are traveling on social media (because of course that’s a bad idea)

2.5 rounded up
While reading this, I felt like we had many moving parts, but at the same time, nothing was happening, at least through the first half, maybe a bit more. We have Taylor, who arrives in Paris alone and with no belongings. The way she's acting is totally suspicious, and I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. Then things slow down pretty quickly.
Then we meet Cassie and Oliver, who are both completely unlikeable, and become even more so once we get back in time and see how they met and the moments leading up to the honeymoon. We get this slow-burn mystery with a lot of build-up, to this twist, which I thought was a good one, to a bit of a rushed ending.
I think this story had a lot of potential, but didn't quite work for me.

The French Honeymoon by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, @bookmarked, and @netgalley for providing me with a gifted ebook copy of The French Honeymoon. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Paris Apartment meets A Simple Favor in an unputdownable thriller about a honeymoon gone horribly wrong.

Sometimes, Paris is a terrible idea.

“The French Honeymoon” kicks off with Taylor arriving in Paris for what should have been her honeymoon—only she’s alone, broke, and carrying a suspicious stash of stolen cash. She finds herself fixated on the seemingly perfect couple next door, Cassie and Olivier, whose fairytale trip plays out all over social media. But when Taylor realizes their picture-perfect romance is anything but, she gets pulled into a web of secrets, lies, and shady motives—and no one’s walking away clean.

This is a quick, drama-filled thriller with all kinds of messy. The Paris setting adds flair, and the story leans heavily on character dynamics and mind games. Everyone has something to hide, and watching it all unravel kept me locked in.

While I liked the pacing and the twists, the ambiguous ending didn’t land for me—I prefer a more solid conclusion. Still, if you're into quick reads with chaos, questionable characters, and a juicy backdrop, it’s worth a spot on your TBR.

This novel follows three perspectives: Cassie, a woman on her seemingly perfect honeymoon with her husband; Olivier, the husband of Cassie (whose chapters take place in the past, throughout their short relationship); and Taylor, a mysterious woman who is escaping something. The characters' stories get entangled throughout the novel as secrets unravel and their realities are displayed.

The novel was engaging and fast-paced, making for an easy read, but it wasn't enjoyable. The mystery was developed well, but the characters were all unpleasant and worsened as the story continued. When I finished reading, I wanted to worst for the characters and felt confused about what I had read. The ending was also underwhelming.

This mystery can be enjoyable for people who like mysteries that lean more psychologically or center around a series of unlikeable characters.

The French Honeymoon was a great suggestion on the publisher’s part. As a debut novel from a French author, I am both charmed and intrigued. I wanted so much for this one to be a five stars.

At a glance the premise and tropes in this book seem to fit the bill. I was fully invested and engaged in first half until I realized how dialogue heavy and character-driven this thriller was becoming and then my attention started to wane thereafter. The setting and themes are a solid 5/5. The characters, although detestable, were well-developed but their petty drama and internal whining became excessive to the point of dull repetition. Had to speed through some parts, I was parched and desperate for some action.

Regrettably, another star was knocked off because open-to-interpretation/loose endings is a personal book peeve of mine unless it’s executed flawlessly, which is rare. Imagine a slow-burning psych thriller riled with tension but then it abruptly flatlines because the culprit is ambiguous. The frustration is the silent killer here. I may need therapy after this.

Giving this author another go. The potential is still there even if I’m not a fan of slow-burn and ambiguous endings.

This was a great book. I loved the vibes and the way the story unfolded. Everyone’s storylines were interesting and I loved the narration. The twists were crazy and the audio narration was good too.

I went into The French Honeymoon completely blind, and I’m just gonna say it, I had mixed feelings. I really resonated with the immigrant experience, especially since the MMC is navigating that identity, and that part hit close to home for me.

But as much as I appreciated the deeper themes the author was exploring, the first half of the book started to feel repetitive. It focused a lot on showing just how unlikable the main character was, and after a while, it felt like the same point was being made over and over. Like I get it, Cassie is a bitch but I don’t have to read for over half of the book. I actually found myself skipping some parts just to get to where the story picked up.

The twist with Reese being the sister of the FMC was interesting, and I liked the intention behind it but it didn’t land as strongly as it could have. The suspense and buildup toward the end felt a little rushed or underwhelming, especially after such a long setup.

That said, I do appreciate the unique concept and the emotional threads running through the story. It just needed a bit more refinement in how the twists and pacing were delivered.

Thank you to landmarkes for my gifted copy of this book! It was so twisty and gripping! Right away there are alternating POVs and the reader is in the dark on how they are all connected! But it worked for me! I was immersed in the story and had to get to the bottom of how the stories and characters were connected! I enjoyed the format of the dual timeline and POV between the three characters. It flowed well and kept me guessing till the end! I loved the setting of NYC and then Paris. It was so descriptive, it made me feel like I was there experiencing the culture and food and drink of Paris! This is a fun read for thriller lovers!

The French Honeymoon was twisty and intriguing, I was sucked in from the first page and found myself more invested as I kept reading. The story was told from alternate POV's and timepoints, that laid the groundwork for the mystery and nefarious intentions of the characters. Even though I have made my own assumptions about the ending, I definitely enjoyed the way that I thought it turned out.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookmarked for this advanced copy!

A thriller with unlikable characters, an amazing setting, a twisty storyline with multiple POVs, I thoroughly enjoyed Jouhanneau’s The French Honeymoon. The glitz and glamour of Paris is the perfect backdrop for a story immersed in the idea that looks aren’t always what they seem. Each of these characters has secrets and you’ll find yourself wondering who you can trust. I sped through this one because I wanted to know what the heck was happening! I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the free earc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I appreciate when publicists reach out and offer a book they think I'll like. The narration could use some work the fake French accent was frustrating. The story felt like it dragged a bit and wish it wad a bit more fast paced.

3.5/5☆

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks and the author for the arc!

I liked it! I was 100% invested right from the start! It moved with a bingeable fast pace that kept me glued to the story until the last page … and I’m still sitting with my brain in a jumbled mess over that ending! Whoa. I’m in such a state over it, I don’t even have an opinion about it. What the what?

The touristy Paris setting, the very messy & toxic characters and the twisty plot just melt together perfectly to make this thriller a wild and addictive ride!

📖 Book Review 📖 Paris is the City of Lights…the City of Love…it has a heartbeat that pulses throughout that breathes electrifying life into this iconic metropolis. For Cassie and Oliver on their honeymoon to Paris, and Oliver’s home country, there is something quite off about their vibe. And for Taylor who arrives alone on her honeymoon with nothing but the clothes on her back and stolen money, the alarms are sounding. The stories of these three individuals unravel deliciously in The French Honeymoon, leaving the reader with far more questions than answers as the plot develops. The characters were beautifully complex and all around difficult to like in the most enjoyable way possible. Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau delivers one show stopping read!

Can you really trust your step-sister?

Amazing domestic thrillers, when the step-sister is jealous of your life. Cassie gets everything, but that's not all.

Can Cassie really trust her Oliver her new husbands?

A must on your TBR

The beginning of this book started with me wondering what I was reading. Where was this book going and was the story going to pick up? Then it picked up… hold on to your seats. The words flew, the pages turned, I could not stop reading. I was invested in figuring out what would happen next.

I am going to end my review here so I do not give away any spoilers but there are a lot of twists and turns in this book and I enjoyed each and every one of them.

Taylor Quinn dreamed of love and lace in Paris—but instead, she arrives alone, broke, and carrying a shady stash of stolen cash. Her dream honeymoon? Hijacked. Then she spots Cassie and Olivier, a picture-perfect couple living the life she was supposed to have. And Taylor? She can’t look away.

As Cassie’s glamorous posts flood social media, Taylor spirals into obsession, trailing them through Paris. But behind the curated smiles and Eiffel Tower snaps, cracks appear—and when Taylor inserts herself into their unraveling fairytale, things get dangerously real.

Anne-Sophie Johanna blends sharp humor with psychological suspense in a glittering-but-gritty thriller. Her writing is vivid—you can taste the espresso and feel the tension rising like Parisian summer heat. Taylor is messy, relatable, and teetering on the edge, while Cassie and Olivier hide secrets sharp enough to cut glass.

Fast-paced, stylish, and packed with twists, The French Honeymoon is a darkly addictive story about envy, identity, and the lies we post online.

Rating: 4.5 stars and a friendly PSA: never trust a filtered love story.

While in New York tending to her father’s funeral, Cassie begins a fling with his tenant. The relationship moves quickly and marriage is almost immediate, but both Cassie and Olivier benefit from the entanglement. From what the internet sees, Cassie is happily enjoying the finer things in life on her honeymoon in Paris with her new, rich husband. Things are picture perfect and the two are smitten. What the internet doesn’t see is the facade - Olivier isn’t rich in the slightest, the two are spending Cassie’s inheritance and as in love as they may seem, Cassie and Olivier are unaffectionate and detached. As both secretly ponder ending the relationship, the two worry what the other may do in a time of desperation in order to gain from the marriage.

The French Honeymoon is a tale of secrets, deception, and revenge. The characters are incredibly unlikable. This is a “slow-burn” thriller as most of the action happens in the final 25%. The story was easy to follow and very fast paced. If you love reading about messy relationships, give this a try!

Thank you @bookmarked for the gifted advance reader copy!

“Sometimes, Paris is a terrible idea.”

Taylor arrives in Paris with a bag full of cash and seems to be running from something. She spends her time following newlywed influencer Cassie and her French husband and admiring their seemingly perfect life. But everyone has their own secrets and agendas…

This was a twisty domestic thriller! I enjoyed the extravagant Parisian setting. The characters were all unlikeable and it was hard to connect with any of them but the surprising twists and messy drama kept my attention. The ending was left open and ambiguous, which was kind of a letdown, but overall I enjoyed it.

Rating 4⭐️

Cassie and Olivier are in Paris on their honeymoon, after a short engagement. They are strangers. Olivier needs a green card to return and stay in New York City.

Cassie just inherited some money after her estranged father passed. She is now living luxuriously on her honeymoon to make her ex-boyfriend jealous.

And then there’s Taylor, Cassie’s adopted sister. According to Cassie, Taylor has always been the “good girl”, “little miss perfect”. And according to Taylor, Cassie is the spoiled manipulative girl who always gets what she wants and plays games.

This story was a rollercoaster, constantly switching between the honeymoon, and before the honeymoon. I loved the dual timeline and the multiple POVs. I was gripped from the start, constantly shocked by the latest unveiling.

Rating: 3.5/5
Often, what is perceived on social media is not always the truth. The French Honeymoon touches upon themes of what appears to be “picture perfect” and what is real through a thrilling story set in Paris. Readers will be introduced to three characters: Taylor, who comes to Paris after taking a large sum of money, and Cassie and Oliver, who appear happy newlyweds on their honeymoon.

Taylor picks up on some suspicious things with Cassie and Oliver, and things pick up about midway through the story. However, the timeline flow and the number of characters impacted the pacing of the overall story. I was entertained, though.