Hardcover, 339 pages
Release Date: August 14, 2014Published by: DuttonAnna and the French Kiss, #3Source: Bought (Pre-Ordered)For fans of: Romance, Hot Literary Guys, LOL, Feels, Chick-lit, Tear JerkersFrom the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.
*MY THOUGHTS*
From Anna and the French Kiss, to Lola and the Boy Next Door, Stephanie Perkins has not disappointed me. I wasn’t expecting this one to be any different. And of course I was right. While Anna is still my favorite, Isla plays a very close second.
“To be good at anything you have to practice.’ ‘Do you wanna practice on me?”
pg. 7
I know this has become the running saying with this novel, but it’s the truth. I saw a little of myself in Isla. I swear I’m just as much as awkward and weird as she is. And then there was the way she was so hard on herself. I know for a fact that I do that. Maybe not towards the same things, but I am hard on myself. I could understand where she was coming from. Because of this she seemed like such a relate-able character. She really felt so real.
“Thank you slutty funnel.”
pg. 10
As for Josh, let me pause and physically swoon. *SWOON SWOON SWOON* You guys, he is the epitome of sweet, romantic, and any other cutesy adjective that you can think of. I LOVED him. And all because of the way he loved Isla. I’m not sure how someone else missed it, because it was glaringly obvious. I’ve never seen a boy cry as much as I saw read about him crying. And I loved it because it felt so genuine. Joah, just like Isla, felt so utterly real.
“Listen I like you and you like me, so let’s go find a secluded park and touch each other’.”
pg. 61
I also loved the two of them together. They both have “ugly sides” that they didn’t want the other to see, but at the same time, who really wants to show someone those parts? They always try to keep those away from people as long as they can. Which makes them even more realistic. And the insecurities and jealousy are real life emotions that people in relationships feel all the time. Their relationship seemed just as real as they did. I also want to send a thank you to Perkins. Thank you for making them use protection. It is proven now that using it won’t mess up the flow or ruin the mood or anything like that. It’s more realistic and it’s helping teens that read this understand that they must be safe.
“Back up, back up, back up. ‘You always liked me?’ ‘A super smart hot girl who reads comics? You were definitely on my radar.'”
pg. 97
What I loved most about this book though, was the way it brought oiut my emotions. I laughed at Lola so hard in the beginning for all that she did in front of Josh at Kismet. And then I was SMITTEN with Josh when he was finally introduced. And then I was taken with him even more because he was so sweet with Isla. And then I felt a little of the same jealousy when she read THE GRAPHIC NOVEL. And then I was a little upset with Isla after blowing things out of proportions. In short, everything about this novel either made me sigh with contented happiness or feel like I got punched in the gut. By the end, I was teary eyed and read the part about his “edited version” three times because it was hard seeing through my bleary eyes.
“I’ve always thought the best relationships are those that are as happy and content in silence as they are in action’.”
pg. 154
And of course it was a pleasure to revisit the old characters: Anna, St. Clair, Lola, and Cricket. Even Calliope makes an apperance. I thought that was pretty cool. And the events that happen when they all appear made me love this book even more. I couldn’t even say anything. I just found myself in shock. I loved that Perkins was able to tie everything together and give everyone exactly what they needed: A Happily Ever After.
“You [can’t] lose anything you haven’t already lost.”
pg. 303
When a book contains relate-able characters and can make my emotions go into a full on roller coaster ride, that’s how I know it was a hit with me. And this one, just like it’s predecessors was definitely a hit. Thank you Stephanie Perkins for creating such real life romances with Anna, Lola, and Isla. I look forward to more of your novels in the future.
Overall, I give this
I thought it was a great book, but it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. Great review!
Check out my review at myviewpointonbooks.blogspot.com/2014/08/isla-and-happily-ever-after-book-review.html 🙂