Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Book Review: Isla and The Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins

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Description from Goodreads
Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last? 

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart. 

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

Initial Thoughts

I'm assuming at this point that the Josh in this story is the same Josh from Anna and the French kiss that is friends with Anna and Etienne, but I am not sure. I am really excited to read this book, and finish out this little series! Though the reviews on Goodreads seem to have been a little mixed (even though the ratings are good), this book is still the reason I read this series in the first place so I'm definitely anxious to start it!

My Review

I was right- it is the same Josh! Even though some other reviews were mixed, and my own reviews were mixed about half way through the book, I had a hard time putting this down and I ended up really enjoying it! 
Isla is in Paris for school, and has had a crush on Josh forever. He is interested after breaking up with a long time girlfriend, and they start dating. Then the shit hits the fan, and they become a long distance relationship.
I think that aspect of the story was pretty realistic- at least to me. The desperation even after only a month of dating- I think a lot of us feel like we want to plan our future with someone that soon, even if it's not a good idea. So I felt for them in that aspect. But the more it went on, I felt like it was completely contrived and just continued on for as long as it did so the author would continue having something to write about.


However, once things started coming around with Isla and her realization about who she is, the story got really interesting to me again, and I really enjoyed it again. 
I also really, really enjoyed getting to see all the other characters again, especially since this is listed as the final book of the series. It was nice to see them continued on a bit, and I feel like all of their stories wrapped up nicely enough for satisfaction.


I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves YA Romance. I do think you could read each individual book on it's own, but the whole is worth the read.


Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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