My Best French Wedding: A Novel

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, France

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

[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.

[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.

[Lynn · 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.

[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!

[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.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Best French Wedding was an interesting story that used then and now timelines to tell the story of Walter and Hildy’s love story. I didn’t fully connect to the FMC until toward the end of the story and found some of the drama to be frustrating, but the end of the story was really charming and I enjoyed the conclusion. The writing was strong and the story kept a good pace.

[Pattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not sure I liked this quite as much as the previous two in the series, it was still very good. I liked the witty banter, which Sellet masters well. I think it was good for Hildy to have her own story, and the backstory with her and Walter was well done--multiple timelines notwithstanding. Overall, a good third book in the series.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. It’s not the best storytelling. But I did enjoy some parts of the story. It really did feel a bit rushed. I really liked the characters personalities. But, overall, the writing felt like it was all over the place and it did feel like a cozy read. I recommend it if you like cozy reads.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sparkling fun

[Viviana]

I received a NetGalley ARC from Kejana Ayala from St. Martins Press today.