From my previous reviews, people will see in not usually very negative about a book and I'm actually pretty nervous about writing my first poor review!
This book wasn't terrible, don't get me wrong, it was very well written, the author has high levels of descriptive abilities. If I'm honest the criticism for me was the genre classification, I don't feel like book is a conventional romance book, there was A LOT of emphasis on the building of the setting! I feel like it was more of a backstage access look to working at Cannes Film Festival. Which is all well and good if this is the type of book you go for. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people.
The romance was more of a subplot and there definitely should be trigger warnings noted too, the FMC, for me, was hard to connect with and the book from her POV (dual third person POV) was quite negative at times.
I found myself finishing the book in one sitting, because I was dying to get to the good stuff, which, for me, didn't come. The book didn't feel very romantic, the characters had poor communication and the spice was LOW, fade to black.
This is not to say that someone else with different tastes wouldnt enjoy it, it just really wasn't my cup of tea.
Romance 2.5/5
Slow Burn 5/5
Spice 1/5
Plot 3/5
Characters 2.5/5

Twelve Days in May is the debut novel from author Niamh Hargan and as the title suggests it's set over a 12 day period in May during the Cannes Film festival. The story features two characters who are both at the festival for work, Lizzy to represent the Scottish Film Board and Ciaran, a director who is there for the premiere of his latest film.

A chance encounter brings them into contact with one another and it's clear that they have a shared history that didn't leave them on the best of terms which instantly intrigued me and made me want to know what exactly had happened that they were no longer on speaking terms. But when Ciaran needs help, Lizzy is prepared to put their past aside and be there for him in his time of need and over time they are able to rebuild their trust in one another to establish a new connection.

As the story progresses we get to see snippets of their budding relationships, both in the present day but also when they first met each other during their gap year in Bordeaux 12 years ago. I also really enjoyed getting to see the drama surrounding Ciaran's film, the military organisation needed by Lizzy to stage her ceilidh event as well as a behind the scenes look at the red carpet treatment at premieres.

I really liked both Lizzy and Ciaran in equal measure, normally when I read a book with two main characters I find myself favouring one over the other but that was not the case here. At first Lizzy has her guard up and was wary and it's only as we get to know more about her and the invisible walls that she uses to protect herself start to come down that we get to see the real Lizzy. There was one moment featuring paparazzi photos where we got to see the raw and vulnerable side of her character and I'm sure that any of us would have felt the same in that position. As for Ciaran, he appeared to be the quintessential cheeky Irishman with charm and good looks but he too showed us a more vulnerable side to his personality when his livelihood is threatened.

My only niggle, and it's a small one, is that I wish there was a distinction between the chapters set in the past and present so that it didn't feel quite so disjointed as one minute you'd be reading about events in the current day and the next you're in the past.

Overall I did enjoy Twelve Days in May and look forward to reading more by Niamh Hargan in the future.

As a Scot myself, I definitely couldn't wait to give this a read and I really enjoyed it.
The Cannes setting was brilliant and really transportive, making it a great escapist read.
I also really liked the friends, to enemies (at least from Lizzie’s POV), to friends and then finally lovers journey that this book took me on, as well as the dual timelines.
The characters were likeable and you definitely found yourself rooting for them.
This would be a great beach or holiday read and I would definitely be interested in reading more from Niamh Hargan.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This read to me a lot more like literacy fiction with romance in it rather than a contemporary romance book. It unfortunately didn’t work for me. I felt that the writing style was at odds with what the book was or was trying to be. I enjoyed finding more out about the BTS of film festivals and that community so that was enjoyable but other than that I found it a really difficult book to read. It really reminded me of Sally Ronneys writing who I’m not a fan of at all but I know I’m in the minority with that thought so if you enjoy books like here’s then definitely give this one a go.

I will start off by admitting that while reviewing this book I did have high expectations purely cause I am Scottish and there are mentions to my home in the book.

This book was great, I love the friendship we see grow between Ciaran and Lizzy from their days back in France. The flashbacks from past to present to understand what had happened to them. The focus being on purely Ciaran and Lizzy was a good choice with very limited side characters as we get to explore more in-depth the main characters.

I would have liked to have seen more of Ciaran's back story, yes his was not as dramatic as Lizzy's but I think seeing what transpired between him and his father would have been a nice touch as we go from hearing Ciaran say his dad wants him to join the family business to then essentially being the president of Ciaran's fan club back home in Ireland. Seeing the journey to how he made his first movie would have been an interesting view.

I am not the biggest fan of miscommunication tropes however the way the author writes honestly made me engaged and debate who's side I was on due to the miscommunication on miscommunication layers.

The author is also such a tease with her writing as I was so sure we were going to get some spicy scenes and then it cuts to the next morning.

Overall the book was a bit slow at the start for me and it picked up definitely during the middle and end (probably cause I didn't need to google the French phrases). I think this is a solid read for lovers of romance and miscommunication trope.

This is a stunning debut book by Niamh and hope she continues to write more. An excellent storyline and characters. Highly recommend.

I did enjoy this book, but I was left feeling like not much really happened.
All the details about the Cannes festival were great as I didn’t know much about it beforehand so I’m glad it wasn’t just assumed. The imagery throughout this book was very good and has definitely made me want to go and explore France.
I would have liked more background on Lizzy and Ciaran’s families and the other characters. This is one of the reasons I felt like the book started to drag in the middle as it was really only Lizzy and Ciaran we heard from/about. The flashback chapters could have been integrated a little better but were written well and I actually think I liked those parts better in some ways.
In my opinion, some important points were touched on, like Lizzy’s insecurities around her body and consent, but not really dealt with in detail. Lizzy’s issues in particular were written fairly well and while relatable they just didn’t feel authentic to me, like they were thrown in there to try and give her depth.
Lizzy and Ciaran’s sarcastic comments and sense of humour really made this book for me, I definitely wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much without that. I liked the relationship between them as well and the way it developed although it felt a little repetitive and like we were going round in circles at times. Ciaran’s realisation while watching his movie was sweet and a high point for me.
There were a couple of small twists towards the end of the story which made things more exciting and led to a happy ending which was wrapped up fairly nicely.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks so much to HarperCollins for letting me read Twelve Days in May in advance! Set over twelve days at Cannes Film Festival, it tells the story of Lizzy, a half-American half-Scottish woman working for the Scottish Film Board, and Ciaran, a new hotshot director in Cannes for the premiere of his highly anticipated new film. Lizzy and Ciaran knew each other twelve years ago during their Erasmus year in Bordeaux, but they haven't spoken since... 👀

I initially wasn't sure about this book but I ended up really liking it! The film festival setting and the author's understanding of the film industry feel totally authentic (she's an entertainment lawyer), Ciaran was an excellent book boyfriend, and personally I cannot resist a storyline where the boy pines for the girl and she doesn't know it. It gave me major You Had Me at Hello vibes which is one of my top three rom-coms!! I also loved reading about their Erasmus in Bordeaux – I never did Erasmus but a year abroad is such fertile ground for stories, and I would love to read more books exploring this conceit. However, Twelve Days in June is a commercial novel so of course there were things that annoyed me – some of the miscommunications were a bit flimsy, some bits were lacking subtlety, there was a whole thing going on with her parents that felt a bit underbaked – but I was pleasantly surprised by Niamh Hargan's storytelling. It's much better-written than most rom-coms I've read, with more introspection and no cringey metaphors, and there were several moments that really resonated with me. I would recommend! ✨

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book, there seemed do be a lot of writing but nothing happening, there was a lot of description and words which I had never heard of. I will not be finishing this book, it looked like a good concept, but unfortunately not for me.

This book pulled me in at first and I liked the romance between the two main characters but as the book progressed I found the storyline a little repetitive and felt it didn't really go anywhere. A good start but a flat middle/end. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I loved this! Two friends from years gone by reunite in France and unpick their friendship and they see where assumptions aren’t always a good way to think.
New favourite author for me!

This book follows Lizzy and Ciaran, who have not spoken in 12 years but surprisingly bump into each-other in Cannes and find that their connection might just still be there.

This book was lovely and very well written. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Ciaran.

At times the book felt a little bit long winded which was a little off putting. However, it was very detailed and clear that the author really wanted us to know the characters as best we could.

I rated this book 3 stars !

I haven't enjoyed a debut this much since Emily Henry's Beach Read.

Twelve Days in May is a perfect combination of brilliant, insightful writing and a plot that pulls you in and wrong foots you *deliciously* just when you think you know what's coming....

Lizzy is a delight - so grounded, and self-aware but over the course of the book discovers that perhaps there are a few home-truths about herself she hasn't quite grasped. And Ciaran - what a guy... ;) I love how they both go on similar journeys and by the end you're rooting so hard for them to make it work!

A richly deserved and unequivocal 5 stars.

Thank you for my earc and the opportunity to read this.
Unfortunate I didn’t finish this. The pacing felt a little slow and I struggled to gel with Lizzy.

What a beautiful debut novel from Niamh Hargan.
The novel centres around Lizzy and Ciaran who haven't seen each other for 12 years before meeting again at the Cannes Film festival. This is a wonderful friends to enemies to lovers story with extremely likable characters and in a beautiful setting. The only problem is I now want to head to the south of France.
I look forward to future works by this author.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to connect with authors and publishers, thank you to the publisher and the author for allowing me to read and give my opinions on this book.

This was a fun novel with great characters funny events and a perfect slow cute romance, I loved how each love intreast had there own life outside of the romance with friends and events without love. I love the way that the book was written and I liked the length.

Overall would recommend

Thank you NetGalley & HarperCollins UK for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review :)

Through the past-present style of storytelling, the author excellently entices you into the story. The story was so well-developed and I found myself struggling to put it down.

Lizzy and Ciaran are reunited after a decade apart, both attending the Cannes film festival. Although they parted on not-so-great terms, Ciaran needs Lizzy's help when his new film is on the rocks.

The characters in this story are so likable and I found myself rooting for them when things got difficult.

A hugely enjoyable book centring on the reunion of Lizzie and Ciaran, twelve years after an abrupt parting of the ways during a university year abroad in Bordeaux. They are back in France, this time at the Cannes Film Festival.

I devoured the book within a few sittings and will look for future works by this author with relish.

This was a great book to read! It was funny, well written and down to earth in a way that is often hard to come by. Niamh Hargan knows how to write real characters and give voice to so many of the conflicting emotions and experiences we encounter in early adulthood. She did a wonderful job switching between then and now, and was able to do so without taking away from the story.

Both Lizzy and Ciaran were well developed characters. We got to see them grow and learn more about themselves and each other through their relationship as young adults and as they grew older. Each of the side characters also had depth and played a purposeful role within the larger narrative.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Niamh Hargan.

The publisher kindly provided ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Remember what its like to be young and tempestuousness where you easily cut off loved ones without communication because you're angry with them?

Niamh Hargan's explores second changes set in the sunny backdrop of Cannes Film Festival, in her debut 'Twelve Days in May'.

Twelve years previously, Lizzy Munro and Ciaran Flynn met in France while on the Erasmus university exchange program. They become besties through a shared love of film. Then nothing.

Imagine their mutual shock when they run into each other at Cannes Film Festival, where Lizzie is working with the Scottish Film Board to entice filmmakers to Scotland, and Ciaran is debuting his second film to great fanfare after winning a BAFTA with his first.

Worst still, Ciaran needs Lizzie's help after he's being sued for plagarism as his film is about young people on exchange - which bears story similarities to a woman's screenplayer submitted to the same studio who produced his film.

Through time jumps, we slowly see the burgeoning relationship between young Lizzie and Ciaran. Hargan captures the youthful dreams and possibilites ahead, along with young love and the tenuous nature of early love. Hargan really captures teenage Lizzie's push/pull with Ciaran where its clear she's falling for him, but denying it to everyone because she's shitscared. Which then leads her to make rash decisions that ultimate cut her nose to spite her face.

Lizzie's outward appearances vs her inward insecurities is something very relatable.

One of my favourite bits is how Hargan gives a taste of the festival. I felt like I really was at Cannes, experiencing the frenetic pace on my feet all day trying to shmooze people as a worker bee to Ciaran's more red carpet glam experience.

However the book does have some issues, mostly with the pacing when the time jumps. Some of the Bordeaux chapters could've been cut IMO with the action condensed to why Lizzie and Ciaran's burgeoning relationship died.

Overall 'Twelve Days in May' is a sweet and charming second chance romance which sparkles like the sun hitting the Mediterranean Sea at Pointe Croisette.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC. I've pre-ordered my copy.