French Holiday by Sarah Ready
ABOUT THE BOOK
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.
MY REVIEW
How do you get over unrequited love? Perhaps hooking up with a groomsman at the wedding from hell between her ex and her own sister might help. Nope. That was a mistake. Waking up with a doozy of a hangover in the best man’s bed the next morning, dodging all of the condoms, and sneaking out of the hotel room never to see the loathsome Noah Wright again was a priority. Little did Merry know losing her job, finding out her sister is pregnant, and taking a vacation to France would bring her face to face with her nemesis once again.
Merry is a straight talker, a sleep cuddler, and she needs to stop believing she’s an ugly duckling and become a swan. France is her chance “to live, to experience magic, to escape” so finding out Noah is staying at the same dilapidated chateau puts a wrench in her plans until she gets to know the troubled man hiding behind the jet-setting film documentarian persona. Noah has a heartbreaking secret that is revealed slowly and Merry is the driving force who helps him find his closure. Their love story is filled with crazy/hilarious moments teeming with rats, bats, and a lobster named Louis. Jealousy and matchmaking abound with a flirtatious Frenchman named Pierre and a mischievous sprite named Camille. And, there is a mystery included regarding the legend behind an elusive painter in search of the woman he loves.
This is a cute and funny romp between enemies who become friends and then lovers. Memorable quotes include: “Loving someone can never be overestimated”, and “Everyone is an artist. Every day we all create our life, we create our destinies! What is more artistic than that?” The setting is beautiful and the characters are entertaining.
Thank you to Ms. Ready for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Sarah Ready writes contemporary romance and romantic comedy. Her books have been described as “euphoric”, “heartwarming” and “laugh out loud”. Her debut novel The Fall in Love Checklist was hailed as “the unicorn read of 2020”. She loves to write fast-paced, emotionally compelling romances about quirky, smart women and the men who love them.
Before writing romance full-time Sarah had lots of fun teaching at an Ivy League. Then she realized she could have even more fun writing romance. Her favorite things after writing are adventuring and travel. You’ll frequently find her using her degree at a dino dig site, crawling into a cave, snorkeling, or on horseback riding through the jungle – all fodder for her next book. She’s lived in Scotland, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and NYC. She currently lives in the Caribbean with her water-obsessed pup and her awesome family.
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