This book was so good. At some point I thought I had the conclusion pegged but boy I was wrong! The author keeps the story's momentum going strong all throughout the book, and it kept me turning pages. Love it!

The French Homeymoon by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau: A beautiful Paris setting, unlikable characters with unhealthy relationship obsessions, and a few twists make up this captivating psychological thriller. The three main characters each had their faults and their own agendas, each of their paths intersecting and woven together with secrets and lies. I appreciated the condensed story with a well-written plot and well-timed twists and confirm that I was not expecting the crazy, ambiguous ending.

It was the cover for me …

Haunting and mysterious… I couldn’t wait to dive right in…

The French Honeymoon, is a twisty thriller set against the glamorous backdrop of Paris. The story follows three complex characters: Taylor, who arrives in Paris alone with stolen cash; Cassie, a newlywed documenting her seemingly perfect honeymoon on social media; and Olivier, Cassie's new husband, who may have ulterior motives.

Jouhanneau expertly weaves a tale of obsession, deception, and the dark underbelly of seemingly perfect lives. As Taylor becomes fixated on Cassie and Olivier's picture-perfect honeymoon, she uncovers cracks in their facade, leading to a dangerous entanglement.

The French Honeymoon is a fast-paced, suspenseful read with unexpected twists that will keep you guessing until the end. Jouhanneau's writing is sharp, and the Parisian setting adds a layer of allure and intrigue to the story. Fans of thrillers like The Paris Apartment and A Simple Favor will likely enjoy this dark and captivating novel.

Check out this teaser :

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

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.

"Sometimes, Paris is a terrible idea." "We were the wrong people coming together at the worst time, and the sky must have been pitch-black." A psychological thriller on a collision course with social media. When Cassie and Olivier traveled to Paris for their honeymoon, it was seemingly perfect. Capturing every moment, minute, day...you might say a social media obsession which I find humorous. They met several months ago with a proposition of a marriage of convenience so Olivier could get his green card. It becomes a honeymoon or marriage gone wrong when they are overheard in a heated argument. There to capture the moment is Taylor who is on her own collision course and honeymoon without a spouse and a bag of stolen money. She has become obsessed with their adventures on social media wishing it were her living out those moments until she hears the argument and realizes nothing is as it seems. She puts herself in danger as she tracks them.
It is definitely a popcorn thriller spoiled by a slow burn but enough wow moments to keep you reading for more. The characters are alluding to the spectrum of the Paris honeymoon and delights that go with it... come to life. Not my favorite thriller but I enjoyed it enough to read more from this author. There are a lot of painful moments with all three's POVs, which encounter no win situations and secrets. Now the ambiguous ending will leave you at a crossroad and not sure which one I would take. Still pending on that... Overall a book with an outstanding cover and the desire to fly to Paris for a few pastries. I think it would be more entertaining as an audio because I love storytelling.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this incredible ARC in exchange for my review.
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If you do not pay attention, you will lose everything that’s going on in this book. We have 3 POV’s and one of the characters is not what she seems in this book. These characters are hard to like, Olivier and Cassie are in Paris for a honeymoon, but Cassie is faking it a little too much for social media, what is really going on here??? Well, their marriage is not what it seems. Then there is Taylor, what is the purpose of her trip to Paris in the beginning of the book? I was so confused, but then everything unraveled, and Taylor is not who she seems, and she has a more sinister reason as to why she’s there.

This book left me with more questions… who??? What the heck happened here??? I know this book is great for others but it was not for me.

I really enjoyed this thriller and the whole Paris setting. This story is told by three different point of views and was very easy to follow along.

I absolutely hated Cassie and her whole character. She is super selfish, self centered and was awful to her sister, Taylor, their entire lives. I think the author did a great job of making you feel a certain way about each character.

I did guess the connection between two of the characters, but there were a couple of twists that I definitely did not see coming.

Overall, this was a great read and I can’t wait to read more in the future from this author.

Thank you @bookmarked for the free arc 💖.

🗓️ Out 4/15/25

✨What it is about:
Taylor Quinn arrives in Paris on her honeymoon with stolen cash and becomes obsessed with a newlywed couple. As secrets unravel, she’s drawn into a dangerous web where no one leaves unscathed.✨

💭My thoughts:
If you’re looking for a quick psychological thriller that mostly takes place in a beautiful setting like Paris, this one is an easy read. With unlikeable characters, each with their own twisted agendas, you’re thrown into a setting typically reserved for love and wonderful experiences—yet the contrast with the dark turns the story takes was especially interesting to me. After all, Paris is often seen as romantic and perfect, and this story is anything but that.
As each character’s secrets are revealed, we go deeper and deeper into a tale of envy, deception, and manipulation, with very dark consequences for everyone involved. It’s a gripping take on obsession and the risks of getting too close to people who aren’t what they seem. There’s a reason why they say appearances can be deceiving!
While the story struggles with pacing at times, it does a good job of showing how obsession with someone else’s reality can sometimes unravel your own. (Boy, don’t we see this a lot these days with social media!) Though many plot points were predictable and I didn’t particularly like or relate to the characters, the story kept me entertained throughout. I felt the open ending was appropriate and matched the overall vibe of the book.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Read if you like:
🇫🇷Character driven stories
🇫🇷Twisted/unlikeable characters
🇫🇷Multiple POVs
🇫🇷Slow burn
🇫🇷Honeymoon-gone wrong
🇫🇷Short stories
🇫🇷Open endings

⚠️CW: Death of a parent, murder, sexual content.

This is an excellent thriller that ramps up the tension as the story progresses. The multiple points of view may seem confusing at first, but you soon learn who's who as their individual narratives converge and their motives become clearer. The three main characters in this triangle are: Cassie, a spoiled, sociopathic narcissist, Olivier, a French national living in the US on a work visa who has just lost his job, and Taylor, Cassie's stepsister, persecuted and manipulated by Cassie all her life. None of the characters are particularly likeable, and all have ulterior motives in their dealings with each other. A green card marriage, a clandestine affair, a honeymoon beset by misfortune and danger, and a murder (or two?) make a stew of suspense and intrigue that will have the reader racing to the finish. Recommended for lovers of psychological and domestic thrillers.

This was an interesting thriller with various twists and turns that kept me engaged. The characters were all interesting and shady in their own ways, but very superficial. The overall plot was gripping, but at times was a predictable. For me, the ending was a bit of a downfall because it was ambiguous and just left me wondering what even happened.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I was so bored in the first half of the book that this would have been a DNF if I hadn’t agreed to read the whole book and write a review. Almost nothing really happened in the first half to 2/3 of the book, and I struggled to keep the two female main characters straight. You would think maybe this time was spent on character development, but you would be mistaken.

Finally, in the final 1/3 of the book, things got interesting. I thought the book might redeem itself. Sadly, the story just never hit for me, and I never managed to care about these characters.

What a wild ride this one was. I haven’t read a thriller in the longest time and this book definitely reminded me that I need to explore this genre more.

The characters were deliciously unreliable. The setting in France is just beautiful. And the plot itself, kept me reading late into the night, not wanting to sleep till I reached a slow chapter. I never did. I just had to force myself to be an adult and sleep lol.

Be warned, this does have one of those ambiguous ending where it’s crystal clear what actually happened. If you like yourself some fast paced, edge of the seat, emotional thrillers, this is it.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me an ebook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The French Honeymoon had me wrapped by its finger and I couldn't get enough. This honeymoon in Paris was anything but a honeymoon. There were lies, deceit, hatred, envy and lots of nefarious things being committed by our 3 main characters Cassie, Oliver and Taylor. Each time a new twist came up, I just wanted more. It is slow paced but definitely worth hanging on.

The French Honeymoon will keep you in suspense even when you think you have it all figured out!
💫💫💫💫💫

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark!

THAT ENDING IS CRIMINAL AND NEEDS TO BE STUDIED. When I say that I was shocked by the twists including who Taylor was in formation to Olivier, I could not stop screaming. I was taken in by the mystery of where the money came from, just how far Olivier would go to prove that he did indeed care for his wife. I did feel though that the subplot of the other man was a little dry and after one death happens in this threesome I could not help but be floored on where it went. The Parisian feels were so well noted, but the ending will truly haunt me, I need to know who was in that tub!

THE FRENCH HONEYMOON was everything I expected it to be. I liked the pace and all the descriptions of Paris. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

My full review will be shared to my Instagram account @coffee.break.book.reviews closer to publication day.

Thank you Sourcebooks for advanced reader copy.

I definitely struggled at the beginning of this book because I couldn’t tell where it was going or what the point of it was. At about 25% in, things started getting interesting and held my attention. Then after a while, it lost me again.

I really enjoyed the plot but the execution was kind of a miss for me. I expected more from the ending and it felt quite rushed.

Overall though, this wasn’t bad. It was entertaining nonetheless.

This book feels like going on a romantic (and thrilling) Parisian honeymoon where you're wined and dined...then everything goes ALL wrong!

Cassie and Olivier are on their honeymoon in Paris. The luxury hotel, the fancy restaurants and high-end shopping...her Instagram Stories make it all look like a dream come true. Especially to an outsider like Taylor who landed in Paris with only the clothes on her back and a bag full of cash. She's obsessed with the newlywed, experiencing the honeymoon she SHOULD be on. When she gets a little too close, Taylor overhears a conversation between the couple that sounds like there may be trouble in paradise. And now she's in too deep...

The intrigue gripped me from the very beginning. I had to know how and why these characters were connected. When the first revealing twist hits, it just doesn't let up! The setting of Paris...puhhlease. It was perfect for this psychological thriller. Short enough to binge in a day. And THAT ENDING!!! I need to discuss with someone right NOW because whaaaat?!

I so wanted to love this one! The premise was set to be everything I love in a thriller, but this one just didn’t work out for me.

I can always tell when I’m unsure if I liked a story based on how long it takes me to read it, and this one fell right on track.

Taylor is living in the shadow of her sister Cassie. She has everything and has controlled Taylor most of her life. I mean Taylor was adopted by Cassie’s mom and she never misses a moment to let her know she has no one

But Cassie’s whirlwind relationship with Olivier is more than just a chance for him to get a green card and stay in the states. A fast track to a honeymoon in Paris makes the newlyweds look like the dream couple.

But Cassie’s not sure she can go through with it and Olivier’s motives for the quick romance aren’t exactly truthful. What would “Good Taylor” do?

I think this will appeal to a lot of thriller readers and I still recommend you pick this one up!

3.5 ⭐️
The French Honeymoon by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau is a quick, fast-paced thriller that explores themes of complicated families, love and obsession, and revenge. The premise of this book immediately pulled me in. Who wouldn’t want to read about a honeymoon gone wrong in such an idyllic place as Paris? I really enjoyed the multi-POV aspect of this story as it kept me wanting to turn the page to get to whichever POV was the most gripping at that moment in the book. While I don’t think this book had extremely surprising plot twists (I guessed everything before it happened), it still managed to keep me invested in the storyline right until the last page. Despite all three of the main characters being incredibly flawed, I found myself rooting so hard for one of them especially. I really enjoyed the fact that the ending was ambiguous (although I think it is actually quite easy to draw a conclusion on what is going on), but if that is something that you are not a fan of I would be aware of that before starting this book. Overall, I would recommend if you are looking for a thriller that is light on the thrills and heavy on character exploration.

a huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This one is for all my scammer-loving queens!

THE FRENCH HONEYMOON is loaded with unlikeable characters, cons, and green card weddings?!

I loved the back and forth chapters of New York and then Paris, and Jouhanneau's use of flashbacks in building out the timeline was highly effective.

This slow burn story will have you shaking your fists and trying to guess what's to come next 👀

Overall, a really fun story that kept me hooked from chapter one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review - out April 15!

For a lover of thrillers and France, I went in with very high expectations for The French Honeymoon. And while I did enjoy aspects of the story and how everything unfolded, I really wished I loved it more.

The French Honeymoon is told from multiple POVs and that was definitely necessary. Taylor arrives empty-handed to Paris for her honeymoon. No luggage and just the clothes on her back....and without a husband. Everything she does and says is questionable and I had to wonder if anyone suspected her actions from the start. Next we meet Cassie. If I questioned all of Taylor's actions, I questioned none of Cassie's. In my opinion, she is not a likable character. She is a surface level woman that thinks the world owes her. Social media and posting all the favorable things of her life to make others jealous is her m.o. She is a newlywed and is honeymooning in Paris with her husband, Olivier that she only recently met. A dream, right? But, just wait. Because Paris, love, marriage and all these characters merge in unexpected ways.

We meet the two main female characters first, but we can't forget about Olivier. His initial POV takes us back a few months and we see how he meets his future wife, Cassie. It brought in a great twist. I was interested in how a "marriage of convenience" can work when it comes to someone seeking to stay in the US. Could be love. Could be fraud. But this also made me not really like Olivier either. Basically this was a handful of unlikable characters out for themselves. BUT, a good thriller with unlikable characters can be exciting.

We were the wrong people coming together at the worst time, and the sky must have been pitch-black.

From then on we have the past and present timeline told from 3 POVs (Taylor, Cassie and Olivier) and we begin to see how the past set us up for the present. I liked seeing how Cassie and Olivier came together and the lies they told in order to make their relationship work, at least from the outside. But, my goodness, they were both awful. It wasn't until we got a twist from the past that made me way more invested in the characters. I loved being along for the ride in Paris along with the food, wine, shopping and beautiful locations, but I was so drawn to Taylor and how she was connected to the honeymooners. Her actions were always questionable, but she was what drew me in to the story.

While I felt this story had a lot of potential, I also didn't feel like I HAD to devour it. When a good thriller captures me, I cannot put the book down and I want to immerse myself into the world. I had some sparks, but it never fully ignited. Although this wasn't an all out page turner for me, I think it may resonate with other readers. Especially if you like unlikable characters with a setting that spans over the ocean. Along with all the deception and questionable actions from the characters, this could be a winner for many. It's a slower burn that unfolds piece by piece for a few twists and "aha" moments that will have you wanting to read more.

Overall, this book was ok. I may not have loved it as much as I wanted to, but I think it showed great potential and l can see myself reading another domestic thriller from this author.