French Holiday
Author: Sarah Ready
Format: Audiobook & eARC
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC
Publication Date: April 26, 2023
Genre: contemporary romance, adult, travel, mystery
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Merry DeLuca has a problem—a big problem. Her sister just married her best friend and the only man she’s ever loved. Her life is rapidly spiraling down the drain and she doesn’t have an escape plan.
So when Merry is offered a three-month holiday living in a romantic castle in the French countryside she leaps at the chance. Merry knows her French holiday will fix everything—there will be mouthwatering pastries, delicious (meaningless) flirtations, and languid strolls through vineyards at sunset. Her holiday will be perfect.
At least, Merry believes that until she arrives and finds Noah Wright—the best man at her sister’s wedding and the worst man she’s ever known—staying in her castle.
Famous travel documentarian by day and arrogant devil by night, Noah refuses to leave the castle. Which means that Merry and Noah are stuck together in France, in a crumbling castle, in a holiday where nothing goes right. Not for Merry and not for Noah.
So they strike a truce—they’ll live as cohabitating friends for three-months, and then they’ll amicably part ways, never to see each other again.
But the thing about friendship? Sometimes secrets are uncovered. Mysteries revealed. Hearts laid bare. And friendship can start to feel a lot like caring. A lot like love. It can even make you wish that the holiday never has to end.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*please proceed with caution, review may contain spoilers*
I really enjoyed this book especially with how the book opened. I initially thought that this would be a second chance romance or unrequited love. It is somehow the latter but it is focused on another guy.
I had this love-hate feelings for Merry’s sister because of how Merry described her as being the better sister, the perfect sister and all those things that Merry isn’t. But seeing it in actuality made you believe it is true. But as we get deeper into the book, we get to see her as someone that is insecure just like everyone else. I appreciate how Merry took care of her sister’s issue and actually help her out deal with her marriage knowing that the person she married was her so-called love of her life.
I love the whole one-bed trope that happened when Noah and Merry when to the chateau in France to get away from the heart break both are going through (for Merry) and finding the truth about Noah’s mother. I love that they were both surprise that they were in that same chateau at the same time. I really enjoyed their banters and how they made things work for the duration of their stay there.
The addition of a mystery of the lady in the painting added a little spice to the book. I love that it kept me hooked wanting to know who the lady was and really confirm that it is indeed Noah’s mother.
I really love Noah, he way better than Leo in everything, despite his mysterious and somewhat closed off persona.
Overall, I love this book. I love how everything unfold especially between Noah and Merry’s feelings for each other. I also love the mystery that was folded into the book, that was a good idea to make the book unique from most romance books.
Favorite Quotes:
“If you could see my heart, you’d see the space for you in it.”
“At the end of your life, it’s not what you did that makes you happy, it’s who you loved and who loved you.”
Wanders Between Pages 