Anna and The French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss Series, Book 1) Published By: Speak Genre: YA, Romance Length: 372 Pages Goodreads Rating: 4.11* Copy: Paperback, gifted to me by a dear friend for my 23rd.

Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?

Anna

One of the things I love most about this book is how relatable Anna is. Her infatuation over Toph reminded me so much of my own infatuations growing up; Every girl goes through a bad boy phase and I think Toph captured that pretty well. Her fight with Bridgett also reminded me of my teen years as well and the ways in which things can get lost in translation when it comes to boys. All of her doubts and insecurities, her feeling like an outsider in the beginning, her friendships with Meredith and Rashmi, how annoyed and angry she gets with St. Clair over Ellie and over her own confusions about him. It's all just so real and I think it is something most girls go through.

Étienne <3

Where do I even begin? Étienne is just a God. He goes down in the fictional boyfriends hall of fame. He is just beyond dreamy and beyond amazing. I have to admit, when I was first sent the book as a birthday present by a very dear friend of mine and I started reading it... I found the notion of the shaggy hair and gap-teeth a little difficult to wrap my head around for a romantic lead. But even these characteristics and the way in which Étienne is later described as being so unsure and scared as well... it all adds to the authenticity of this story.

I know many people disagree with the way that he essentially strings along three women (Ellie, Meredith and Anna) but in his defence, I think he was just too scared to let go of Ellie. They had been together for a long time and even though he started to have feelings for Anna; she was this new girl who had someone back in Atlanta as well. With everything he was facing throughout the novel, I think a little stability made him feel more comfortable. In regards to Meredith, I don't think he ever felt that way about her, I think it was jus his nature to be very friendly and well he is amazing, so of course she fell for him!

"Will you please tell me you love me? I'm dying here!"

The Trilogy

I loved all three books immensely but Anna will always be my favourite, followed by Isla and then Lola. That is not to say that I didn't love Lola and Cricket too. I simply found Anna and Isla more relatable; personally.

I absolutely loved the way that Stephanie Perkins connected the three books without really making them a series in the traditional sense. I loved the Anna and Lola worked at the same theatre and seeing bits of Anna and Étienne and how Lola admired them.

Let's not even get started on the immense amazingness that ended Isla! <3 <3 I don't want to spoil too much for those of you who haven't read them all, but the little snippets of the previous book characters in Isla is just amazing. Hats off to Perkins for pulling it off so well!

SOAP

I adored the whole boarding school aspect. It constantly made me feel like I had missed out on something, and I know for a fact I would not have faired anywhere near as well as Anna if I had been sent to boarding school.

Anna and Soap actually inspired the setting for my new novel 'The Energy Never Dies'. I am still working on it at the moment but I cannot wait to share it with all of you; especially Anna, Lola and Isla fans!

"For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person and we are finally home."

My Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3