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

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.

Book Review: Lola and The Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss #2) by Stephanie Perkins

Description from Goodreads
Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Initial Thoughts
After reading the first book in the series, I am excited to read this one! The main characters seem interesting, and I like stories about friends falling in love. So this might be good!

My Review
This was another adorable book!

I really loved Lola, the main character, and reading about all her fun outfits! I really sometimes wish I was more creative with my clothing and I loved reading about the way she put them together. I also loved how Cricket is basically similar with his clothing- he's always put together. Not quite as in costume like Lola is, but still definitely better put together than most guys.

I also really, really liked that Anna and Etienne from the first book made appearances throughout- even though I knew these books were part of a series, I thought it was just because of the way they were written or the types of stories they were. So that was a very nice surprise. 

I thought her relationship with the boy she is dating in the beginning of the novel was a little .... lacking. It was probably my least favorite part of the entire story. It wasn't really the age difference, but he just never really seemed all that into Lola. It made it easy for me to root for them to break up, which is both a strength and a weakness in the novel. Sometimes a guy isn't right for you, but can still be a good guy. I wish more writers wrote it like that.


I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads, just like the first novel. I can't wait to read the third book!


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

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Description from Goodreads
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

Initial Thoughts
I'll be honest- I just want to read this book and the second book so I can get to the third book. It does sound like something I'll like, but when I found the third book on Goodreads, I knew I HAD to read it, and if I find out a book is part of a series, it feels weird to not start at Book #1. So hopefully this will be a good intro!
I also have never read anything by this author before, and I would love to read more new-to-me authors this year!

My Review
I absolutely adored this book! As I said above, I wasn't sure about it, and read it more to get through the first couple of books in this series, but I'm so glad I decided to start at the beginning!

It was a cute and quick read. I liked that the supporting characters were mostly fleshed out, though I wish I knew more about the relationship between Etienne and his parents. I also felt the end was a tad rushed, but since there was so much tension between Etienne and Anna throughout the story, I guess it was okay that once they were together, they were together.
But, overall, I loved that the characters seemed like real teenagers, and real teenage drama. The misunderstandings between Anna and her friend back home felt like things that happened with my own friends, and they felt organic. I didn't feel like the author was forcing me to believe anything that was happening- it just felt like I was following along.


I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads, and I can't wait to see if the second book in the series entertains me as much as the first.


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