My Best French Wedding

by Amanda Sellet

Will it be l’amour the merrier or too haute to handle when rival reporters with a tangled history compete to tell the story of the year at a ritzy destination wedding?

Once upon a time, Walter was Hildy’s favorite person—until he crushed her teenage dreams. A decade later, she has a new the magazine she built from the ground up. Unfortunately, getting rid of Walter isn’t as easy as shedding her romantic illusions. He’s always around, vying for the juiciest scoops on the elite wedding circuit and provoking her into public displays that don’t scream “mature and sophisticated media maven.”

When Hildy scores exclusive access to the wedding of the season—a week-long parade of luxury in southern France—it’s a chance for her magazine to finally make its mark. Except Walter isn’t sitting at home crying; he’s right there in France, trying to steal Hildy’s story. Again.

Now it’s a head-to-head battle to see whose coverage will make it to print. The problem? Between the champagne and the chateaux, it’s easy to lose sight of the prize. Hildy knows better than to believe in fairy tales, but Walter is doing his best to convince her they could have a part deux.

In this gender-flipped twist on His Girl Friday, Hildy has seven days to prove she is totally over it, living her best life, and definitely not hung up on the past . . . or Walter.

Genres: Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Summer, France, Enemies To Lovers

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 11, 2026

About the author

Amanda Sellet is a Gen X ex-journalist who loves old movies, baked goods, and banter.
On the comedy/tragedy question, she is team comedy all the way.

Reviews

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this one was a pretty big miss on all fronts for me. I loved the premise of a destination wedding in France with rival reporters, but the story just fell super flat.

Hildy Johnson, editor in chief of Life, Styled magazine, has just landed exclusive access to one of the biggest weddings of the century. When she arrives in France, she is appalled to find her nemesis, Walter Burns is already there.

From the first chapter, we immediately realize that there is some significant history between Hildy and Walter. However, due to the style of storytelling, that history is slowly and painfully revealed through flashbacks. We don’t learn anything of relevance until the last 10% of the book, which made it almost impossible to tolerate their constant bickering or root for their relationship. With such a slow burn I just wanted more. I also expected a lot more out of the setting based on the description. The promise of a beautiful wedding in the South of France never really came to life.

I did think the pool scene was hilarious and actually laughed out loud. It’s not that the book as bad, it just didn’t work for me. I think I would have liked it a lot more if their relationship was told chronologically.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jacqueline Firkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fun it’s been to journey through Sellet’s trilogy of classic film adaptations, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating this one, which is inspired by one of my favourite films, His Girl Friday, in turn adapted from the play The Front Page. The film is known for its sharp, fast-paced banter and sparking, push-and-pull rivalry/second-chance romance between the 2 leads as famously played by Rosalind Russsell and Cary Grant. Sellet deftly captures both the banter and the sparks in her contemporary reboot, trading a politically fraught murder case for a frothy French destination wedding as the two reporters cover the event while sparring their way into falling in love again. As with the first book in the series, Sellet’s love of the setting shines on the page, taking the reader to the French countryside with its castles and caves, wine and cuisine, gardens and green hills. The humour warmly embraces the antic and farcical as the duo gets caught up in pool noodle jousting or traversing a dark carnival themed bouncy castle, navigating a complicated ten-year history that tore them apart while repeatedly bringing them back together again. Sellet drops in delightfully fun nods to the previous two books, and to the source material, but readers don’t need to know either to enjoy this one on its own. A joyful escape, a loving tribute to a fabulous film, and a perfect fit for armchair travellers who enjoy a lot of push in their push-and-pull love stories, and a lot of “com” in their rom-coms.

[Linda Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun quick read and the banter had me laughing out loud. Hildy and Walter have known each other since they were teens and can’t seem to stop floating back into each other’s lives. Yes, they are rivals, vying for all the best weddings to write about. They are also extremely attracted to each other, but will not give in to temptation because there is way too much history and hurt feelings. Although I do like that Walter wants to talk to her about their issues.
One thing is for sure they work together and make a great team. And when they finally leave the past behind, they are so good together.
If you are in the mood for a destination wedding with rivals to lovers, this is a fun one.

#MyBestFrenchWedding #AmandaSellet #StMartinsPress #YouHadMeAtHEA

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best French wedding is about wedding journalist Hildy Johnson and Walter Burns. They are covering the wedding of the century - a week long affair in France. Over the course of the week, we learn more about Hildy and Walter’s past and what drove them from friends to enemies. This is a cute fun read. I loved that the chapters alternated from different view points. And of course with any wedding story, it has a happy ending. Thank you to Net Galley and st. Martins press for the ARC.

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Best French Wedding by Amanda Sellet was so enjoyable! It was hilarious and heartfelt in the best way. I don't think I expected it to be so funny--maybe because it wasn't pitched as a romcom--but it was! I also loved the French country setting. Highly recommend this summer read!

Hildy and Walter are journalists competing for the wedding story of the year: a grand castle wedding in France. But their pasts might be getting in the way as these former lovers duke it out for the scoop. Their past and present intertwine to complete this tumultuous love story.

I received this book as a free ARC and all views are entirely my own.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

New author for me. I'm going to start right off by saying I liked the idea of this story...it was a good start. However, I really wasn't as fond of the "entirety" of the story/book. I never really felt I got totally invested in Hildy and Walter's story. Part of that was the back and forth between past and present. While I understand why authors write that way, it is one of my least favorite ways to read a story. So it always puts me off and/or takes me much more work to "fall" into the story. That being said, I hung in and tried hard to really enjoy the read. The slow burn in this story was, in my opinion, way too slow. I felt the drag was forever, and that somewhat sucked my joy out of this read.

Eventually, I determined it was probably just me, but this book was not my thing. While I truly enjoyed Walter, Hildy left me cold. At times I just wanted to reach out and smack her. Okay, well, suffice to say, this one wasn't for me. I do think there are many out there that would enjoy this story. The travel to France, the descriptions, the (at times) witty dialogue will definitely make some happy while reading. I did have a few laugh-out-loud moments. Truth be told, it just didn't grab me enough for it to matter to me. Even the end was just okay for me. Oh well, that happens at times. I'd still encourage others to give it a try. It's not a bad read, it just wasn't for me. I'm sure there are others out there that will really enjoy it!

[Thelit bookreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a light, fun and summery read for me. I really liked the plot, the characterization and the fun banter between them.


What I liked:

- Intresting french terms to learn 

- Good research on the french menu and the terms

- Fun Banter between the characters


What I would have liked more is that

- The interactions could have been written more clearer, I had to go back and read it two three times to know what they were talking about.

- The pronouns were kind of confusing for me, I guess I am not a big fan of third person point of views as much

- Also I would have liked if the storyline was more gripping. It was very drift through I had to fall out of it couple times to get into finishing the book.


Hildy and Walter were high school friends who departed after a misunderstanding. But the fate seems to get them together in unexpected places at the same time. The story unravles with their ech meeting from the past years to present.



What to expect

- Read if you like The Hating Game this whole story gave me that vibes.

- Same Profession

- competitive nemesis

- Friends to rivals to lovers

- Different Timeliness 

- Travel themed and Destination Weddings

- Second Chance

- Fun Banter

- Double Pov

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in return of review

[Julia Evelyn]

I’m so sorry for this review I truly truly am. I gave it a chance. Got 30% in and had to DNF. Please consider that when reading this review as, of course, I did not finish! But from the 30% I read, here are my thoughts:

- Hildy & Walter are hot and steamy from the start! I liked that we got the vibe that Walter was obsessed at the beginning. I liked the imagery and could picture Hildy’s “sexy dress” perfectly (something about cascading like melting silver idk but nice)

- Where did this vibe go ?? Like I know they’re ~enemies with benefits~ or it at least seemed that way based on one scene, but suddenly we’re at odds with each other in a “high stakes” journalism opportunity, reporting on a wedding. There’s “tension” but I don’t buy it. Nothing about their dynamic screams deep in any way, shape, or form.

- The wedding is in beautiful FRANCE. Where’s the ambience? All I’m hearing is Hildy and Walter engage in insufferably cringe dialogue throughout the whole book. You think something will change when we flashback to 10 months ago, but nope still cringe & still the same dialogue.

I did not connect to the characters, I didn’t buy the plot, I did not like the dialogue, and the setting was a major let down, too.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I wish I had better things to say :(

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rival reporters with a messy past end up competing for the same huge wedding story in the south of France…while very much not over each other.

I’m kind of torn on this one. It’s probably a 3.5 for me. (Goodreads, I want half stars!!)

The writing is genuinely really good. Like, laugh out loud funny at times. The banter especially is so strong, which is always my thing, and it definitely got me into it early on. The pacing starts off solid.

But…it started to lose me a bit in the second half.

We jump around a lot, and while the pacing is technically moving, it also somehow starts to drag? And I’m not sure the payoff of why they hated each other so much was strong enough to justify all that tension.

Also, Hildy kind of wore me down. At a certain point I was like okay please just be serious for one second. It got a little exhausting, and by the end I was more ready to be done than excited to see how it wrapped up.

It also felt a bit overwritten toward the end, which didn’t help. And then…closed door??? With that much buildup?? I was like oh. okay. lol.

BUT overall, the writing is excellent, and the banter is fun, but it ended up feeling a little more like a chore to finish than I wanted it to.

A solid 3.5 for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and Amanda Sellet for this eARC!

[Prachi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the premise - rival reporters, a French wedding and witty banter but the execution didn’t fully land for me. While I am usually a fan of dual timelines, for this book the back and forth made it harder to stay invested in the present-day story and slowed the momentum considerably.

Hildy was my bigger issue. I wanted to root for her but found myself frustrated more often than not. I wish we had seen more of her inner struggle as far as Walter was concerned. Walter, on the other hand, was genuinely enjoyable and the chemistry and banter between them were the clear highlight, and honestly I wished there had been more of that throughout. When those two were sparring, the book showed real promise. But the slow burn dragged in a way that dulled the payoff rather than building toward it.

The wedding setting, while lush on paper, ended up feeling a bit Hallmark-movie to me and some of the characters felt like caricatures. I do think readers who love light, escapist romances set in France will find a lot to enjoy here. It just wasn’t quite the read I was hoping for.

[Amira]

'My Best French Wedding' by Amanda Sellet is a witty rivals-to-lovers romance that fizzes like a perfectly chilled glass of champagne in the French sunshine. Sharp banter, slow-burning tension, and an indulgent setting make this the ultimate escapist summer read.

Hildy Johnson has worked hard to build her magazine from the ground up, and even harder to put Walter Burns firmly in her past. When she secures exclusive access to the most coveted wedding of the season, a lavish week-long celebration set against the sun-drenched chateaux of southern France, it feels like the big break she's been waiting for. That is, until Walter turns up with the exact same idea. As the week unfolds amid breathtaking scenery and a wonderfully warm cast of supporting characters, the line between rivalry and romance grows harder and harder to define.

With its breezy pacing and a central duo whose banter crackles off every page, 'My Best French Wedding' is pure romantic joy — the perfect book to devour on a sun lounger this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so I’m going to start by saying I loved the premise of this book, the destination (bonjour Paris) and the whole rivalry aspect but for me it just fell a little flat.

Hildy Johnson is the youngest editor in chief of Life Styled magazine and she has just landed exclusive access to the biggest weddings of the season. When she arrives in France, she is gobsmacked to find Walter Burns her arch enemy already there.

From the first chapter you can tell there is a turbulent history between the two, one they have never dealt with. I found the story moved slow and with the amount of bickering between the two you don’t really get to the root of their problems until the very end. I thought the story had some great light hearted laughable moments.
I want to clarify that I don’t think the book is bad, it’s just not a book for me. But for everyone else out there, if this seems like a book for you give it a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5
Pub date: Aug 11 2026

[Kari Bunce (Books With Herb) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy witty banter, a love story that hasn’t quite found its ending, and a charming setting in France, this might be your next read.

Walter and Hildy have been crossing paths—and swords—since high school. Miscommunication and misunderstandings follow them into adulthood, and despite a promising start, they struggle to find their way back to each other. The sharp, clever one-liners never stop, though at times it became a little frustrating because if they had simply paused to really listen to one another, things might not have taken so long to resolve. That trope can sometimes feel a bit tiring for me.

That said, I loved the French countryside setting and the wonderful cast of side characters the author included. They added warmth and charm to the story and made the journey even more enjoyable. Overall, this was a fun and lighthearted read that kept me smiling and left me happy with the ending.

⭐️ 4 bones from Herb and me.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Hildy once adored Walter, but after he shattered her teenage dreams, she moved on and built her own magazine. Years later, he’s still her rival, constantly competing with her for stories. When Hildy lands exclusive coverage of a lavish celebrity wedding in southern France, Walter shows up to steal the spotlight, forcing them into a week-long professional and personal showdown. As they compete, lingering feelings resurface, which challenge Hildy to prove she’s truly over him while pursuing success.

This book had a little bit of everything readers should enjoy: a wonderful setting in southern France, characters with chemistry, and good banter writing. A bonus are the great secondary characters which added a fun layer to this book. Perfect for summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Quenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best French wedding is a very romantic, cute, rivals story by Amanda Sellet.

There was a time in Hildy’s life that she liked the idea of Water but lately she couldn’t seem to find a way to get rid of him.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. Hildy and Walter’s banter was honestly just a good amount and not to over bearing. I have read other rivals to lovers books where their banter was too much, and it made the story unbearable. However, in this book FMC and MMC’s banter was funny, and witty. I also really enjoyed Corinne in this book, I think she was the perfect third POV to their relationship and had really funny commentary for Hildy and Walter.

I really enjoyed that they always try to one up each other, but always seem to be finding themselves inches from each other.


Overall, I can’t really say anything that I didn’t like about this book. This is a perfect romantic, enemies to lovers read. I highly recommend.

[Saloni Porwal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge judge by the cover girlie, so when I saw this one, I assumed it would lean more into women's fiction. But it was a rom-com all the same. The beginning was very trying and I had to reread a good chunk of the first few chapters to be able to get in the story, and when I did, I enjoyed the story. Hildy and Walter have great banter even in the flashbacks, but this book has too much of the miscommunication/misunderstanding trope and it's not done well. The whole reveal of what's got them bickering comes very late in the story, which in my opinion made the writing very slow placed up until that point.

I'd probably read more by the author, but I had to DNF a book I previously tried reading Hate to Fake It to You and don't even remember much of it. I do recommend reading this book for it's fun characters and plot aside from romance, which I think is quite fun. It's a mostly lighthearted story with a few memorable scenes here and there.

[Kate Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A totally fun romance told in dual timelines--one in the present day, the other in the past going from the most recent encounter between Hildy and Walter and then moving backwards in time to their first meeting ten years earlier. I loved the French countryside setting, the drama of the luxury wedding and Hildy and Walter's competition to be the journalists covering said wedding, and the constant tension between the two of them. The story takes rivals to lovers in some great directions.

In particular, this book just has a unique voice that I couldn't get enough of. Not everyone likes third-person POV in romance, but I enjoyed the way this author did it. Following the past timeline in reverse was a great way to read it, too--it constantly kept me curious about what drove the main characters apart in the first place.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the chance to read this one early!

[Dana Sessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a time when Walter and Hildy were everything to each other. But then that faltered away and both went on with their lives. Now ten years later, Hildy has her magazine that she built on her own. However, Walter is always right around the corner getting in the way of her stories. Now, Hildy has scored an exclusive story about the wedding of the season in France. However, Walter as also turned up and now both are fighting for the storyline. But what if there was more to fight for? Could they have a redo and make their relationship something real? The characters were brought to life well and having the jump in timeline to get an understanding of how they got to where they are now was a nice touch to getting the full story. You can feel the pull they have to each other even though they won't admit it. The story was well written and keeps the reader glued to the story until the very end.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts

Hildy Johnson and Walter Burns met as teenagers at a weeklong journalism conference.

The pair formed a strong connection while working on an article together.

That connection was fractured by several miscommunications and what started out as a positive relationship became just the opposite for a ten year period.

Told from alternating perspectives and past to present the story ebbs and flows as it ranges between being annoyed by the fact that if Hildy and Walter had talked honestly they wouldn’t have been at odds with each other in the first place and dismayed on their behalf that things kept happening to keep them in a state of turmoil.

I am a huge fan of second chance romance relationships with all the ups and downs that go along with getting to a final HEA.

I will be honest with you there are some moments where these two main characters almost made me give up on them ever getting theirs.

[EArc from Netgalley]

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love My Best French Wedding—anything set in France is usually an easy win for me—but this one was a struggle to get through.

The biggest issue for me was the constant back-and-forth between timelines. Instead of adding depth, it made the story feel disjointed and hard to stay invested in. I also had a hard time connecting with Hildy, which made it even tougher to stay engaged. On top of that, the central relationship dragging out over ten years felt more frustrating than romantic.

That said, I did enjoy the final few chapters—they finally brought some momentum and payoff that I had been hoping for all along.

Overall, while I loved the French setting, this one just didn’t come together for me the way I’d hoped.

Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to review this in advance. This is set to release in early August.

[Haley B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn't really do it for me. I loved the premise of rival wedding reporters covering a lavish wedding in France.

I think it took too long to get to the root of their animosity. It made it really hard to root for them and made a lot of their bickering seem so petty and childish. For me, their back story was revealed way too slowly and then to have it all boil down to a misunderstanding when they were 17?! Nope.

I also felt like the book wrapped up too quickly. it just kind of...ends.

I did like the setting and all the fun excursions they went on during wedding week in France. I also loved Fiona and Robbie...they were the sweetest, most adorable couple.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's for the eARC.

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5

This cover has such great vibes. Looks like a nice place for a vacation.

We've got rival reporters and boujee weddings.

I did really like these characters (it did take me a minute to get invested though, but once I did, I was in), I thought they were fun and interesting.

I did feel like some parts of this story were paced a bit strangely. I don't know if that's just a me thing or not. But the writing made it feel that way at times.

This was a fun and cozy little romance. I can see it being a good beach vacation type of read. Ya know what I mean.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Caty Ordonez | Catysreads07 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute read. I liked the different french terms and the menu. Something I didn't really enjoy was the third person POV, but that's just my preference. I kind of thought it would be more of women's fiction because of the cover but I'm happy that it was a romance novel. This book is about rival reporters/journalists and super fancy weddings, I felt like the premise was unique. I did like the characters and the banter between them. I honestly would recommend if you want a cute summery second chance romance book.

Tropes: competitive nemesis, friends to rivals to lovers, destination weddings, second chance, fun banter,

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this eARC.

[Doreen Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilda and Walter, rival wedding journalists, have a long history going back to their teenage years. They both end up in France to cover the Prescott-Schaffer wedding of the year and the week long events leading up to it.

This was a cute, cozy romance with an interesting storyline set in France The book felt well researched and I could envision all the places. For me, the first half was a little slow moving and the banter sometimes felt forced, a bit over the top. I enjoyed the second half as more and more of Hilda and Walter's back story comes together.

Overall I liked it and plan on reading more from Amanda Sellet.
Rate 3.75/5
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a rivals to lovers, second-chance romance. It all comes to a big conclusion and confrontation when they're both covering the wedding of the decade.

Overall, I felt the characters were strong and the chemistry was good when that was the focus. My main issue was that the story started in the middle and then started alternating chapters with some going backwards and some going forwards. I found this really annoying. It's hard to get into their story when the narrative is constantly jumping around. I had this rated at 3 stars for most of the book, but thankfully it locked in at the end and I thought it brought the book up.

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to be be reviewing my first ARC. “My Best French Wedding” by Amanda Sellet is the story of 2 competing journalists and what led them to be competitors and heated rivals. So much sexual tension building up when in the present day they meet up in France each trying to get the scoop on the wedding of the century. In an alternating timeline told from both protagonists perspectives, we slowly get back to their meet cute and why they are feuding.

This book comes out in August. It will be great way to end your summer and ease into fall.

[Rebekkah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always try to finish ARCs, but, despite my best efforts to give it a chance, I couldn't make it much farther than the first chapter. I could not get myself to care about either of the main characters, and there was so much dialogue—too much dialogue—that it was difficult to follow. I have read some of the author's YA work, so perhaps that is more her arena.

I appreciated the opportunity to read this—thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[TD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I really enjoyed this book and when I got a third of the way in, I basically binged the rest of the book in one sitting. I love romance and this definitely hit the spot and was what I was looking for. I've been really into books set in France and Italy lately so the title and cover of this book immediately caught my attention. This was such a cute and funny book with amazing banter and a great setting. I wish I could've read this in France during the summer but it was amazing regardless. I definitely look forward to reading more from this author!

[Ashley Zache · Rating 3 out of 5]

i got this book from a goodreads giveaway which is super exciting! My first ever ARC. 🥳

i was a little hesitant on this book considering my distaste for romance lately. I was definitely pleasantly surprised. It definitely isn’t my favorite romance but i enjoyed my time. I like that the spice was pretty minimal. the characters weren’t anything special to me. I also feel like most of the book was the two main characters arguing and competing and the last 50 pages was romance. but maybe that’s why i liked it. overall decent book. not my favorite romance but definitely not my least favorite.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline was great and I loved the concept because it was original. However, I had a hard time with this one because I didn't really care for Walter or HIldy and I found myself just not caring enough to want to continue the book. I think there was some depth missing, but I think for a fun fast read in the summer, this is perfect.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.