Isla and the Happily Ever After

By Stephanie Perkins

5/5

We first met Isla in Anna and the French Kiss when Anna realised that Isla had feelings for Josh. Flash forward a few months and Isla is home for the summer in New York when she bumps into Josh at a coffee shop. Isla has been in love with Josh since they were both Freshmen but they do not see each other again until school starts. They both attend School of America, Paris, where Etienne and St Clair attended, and Josh is St Clair’s best friend from Anna and the French Kiss.

I loved this book. I adored Josh’s character in Anna and the French Kiss and it was so lovely to see him again in the book and get to know him a bit better. As much I adore St Clair, I think Josh may be my favourite boy from the series. He’s so unsure of himself but you can see that he has a heart of gold and would do anything for his friends. I think him and Isla are perfectly suited and I really liked how they challenged each other and made each other question themselves and their choices. Of course, the characters from the previous two book appeared and it was lovely to see them all interact and come together. Also, a certain scene near the end of the novel made me smile so hard that my cheeks hurt. This book also took us somewhere a bit different, Barcelona, and I loved seeing a city so well loved by many, through Isla and Josh's eyes. I have loved travelling the world with these three books.

What I really liked about these books was that the characters weren’t perfect. Although every girl at school has a crush on St Clair in the first book, he isn’t your typical contemporary love interest who is perfect in every way. St Clair is described as having crooked teeth and is only 5’4, Josh is described as having a few less than perfect physical features, and Cricket is lanky and awkward. I think this is what makes the books more personal and enjoyable; you know the characters aren’t perfect but you love them anyway.

I would recommend this book and the rest of the trilogy to anyone; absolutely stunning!

Lola and the Boy Next Door

By Stephanie Perkins

4.5/5

Although Anna and the French Kiss can be read as a standalone novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door is its sequel. Set in San Francisco, the story follows Lola as a boy from her past comes back to complicate her life (in the best possible way). Anna and St Clair also appear in this book, though they do not have a prominent role in the story.

I gave this book a 4.5 purely because I didn’t like it as much as Anna and the French Kiss. However, that isn’t to say I didn’t like, I loved it but not as much. I found Lola to be rather irritating and immature at times and I really didn’t like how she led Cricket on. Yet she was a fun character, very different from Anna but also similar in some aspects too. Speaking of Anna, I loved how she and St Clair made an appearance in this book and I really enjoyed seeing how their relationship had developed and how it was developing. Cricket was utterly adorable and the complete opposite of his twin sister, Calliope, a character I really did not like. I loved Lola’s dads and her relationship with them, and also her relationship with her biological mother as this answered some questions about Lola’s personality and why she thinks the way she does. Again, the writing was honest and simple, portraying the story beautifully.

I am a huge fan of this trilogy and I only wish that the books were a little longer as I read each one in only a few hours.

Anna and the French Kiss

By Stephanie Perkins

5/5

I have seen this book floating around Bookstagram for quite some time now and as I came to the end of my Summer TBR pile, I thought it was time to give this and its companion two novels a go. And I am so glad that I did. The story follows Anna who has been sent to School of America, Paris, by her father and it is where she befriends a close knit group of friends, and mostly importantly, the darling Etienne St Clair.

I am completely obsessed with this book and I devoured it in about 3 hours because I just could not put it down. From start to finish I was hooked and this book now has a very special place in my heart and is without a doubt one of my favourite books. This book is the perfect contemporary with its Parisian setting, incredibly cliché love story and gorgeous love interest. The characters are fantastic and I loved every single one; Josh and St Clair’s friendship was hilarious, Anna and St Clair’s friendship was endearing and as their friendship blossomed into more, I found myself getting butterflies and smiling as I read because it was just so beautiful. The writing was simple and honest and really brought Anna and St Clair’s relationship to life.  The cover of this book is also stunning and was originally what drew me to the book in the first place.

I honestly have no complaints about this book. I thought it was absolutely breath-taking and despite only finishing it a few days ago, I cannot wait to read it again!