Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After (#3, Anna and the French Kiss) by Stephanie Perkins - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

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

My Thoughts

A wonderfully captivating story of first crush…
first love… and happily ever afters. I loved it!

4halfstars

Synopsis

IslaHappilyEverAfterSmallFrom 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 Review

With her distinctive brand of effervescent storytelling, Perkins delivers a story full of magic and realism, dreams and heartache, wishes and happily ever afters. This latest installment is roused to life by vibrant characters who’ve met abroad at the School of America in Paris (SOAP), at a time where life lay before them teeming with possibility. Perkins’s prowess at characterization shines again, as she infuses a special kind of quirkiness into each of her protagonists, making them indelibly real, relatable and unforgettable.

Isla and Josh’s tale is plagued with turmoil, insecurities, unspoken fears and fragile friendships, but it’s also a story about taking that tremulous risk of reaching for your happily ever after. This story seemed to have a more introspective quality than its predecessors, as both characters worked through their own sense of self, while at the same time processing the feelings that bloomed for each other. For Josh, these internal musings dealt with feelings of abandonment from his absentee parents and loneliness from being left behind by his graduated friends. For Isla, it was her misgivings about self worth, particularly as those feelings related to her forever crush on a tall and talented boy.

“Joshua Wasserstein. My crush on him is near unbearable.”

Isla fell for Josh immediately. From the very first time she saw him. With an impossible shyness, she’d loved him from afar, adored him even when he had a girlfriend. For years. But their senior year means Josh is left at SOAP without his friends, and finally, without a girlfriend. A serendipitous encounter brings Isla and Josh together over the summer in New York City, but it’s a misunderstanding that pulls them apart just as immediately.

When they reunite at school, tentative gazes meet and pull away, holding longer every day as careful words are exchanged… words full of longing and hoping and wishing. And before too long, Isla’s dream is coming true and she finally has the chance to be with the boy she’s loved for so long. Their time together is wonderfully uplifting and enchanting as these two seemingly opposite teens fit so perfectly. Josh is this talented, thoughtful artist who sees the world through the tip of his brush, while Isla is bright, shy and uncertain about her own place in that same world. But somehow, together, in each others arms, the world seems perfect.

“I wish the world would swallow us whole, in this moment. And that’s when it hits me that this this is falling in love.”

Amidst New York cafes and Parisian streets and unforgettable moments in Spain, Josh and Isla fall in love and learn through tears that sometimes, even the most profound emotions cannot bridge the miles, misunderstandings and misgivings to make it last forever.

“Maybe our relationship didn’t happen quickly because we’re perfect for each other, but because we each got swept away by it — him because of this insatiable need, me because of my preexisting crush.

Isla and Josh’s story does give us that long-awaited happily ever after with many heartfelt moments along the way. In addition, fans of the series will revel as Etienne, Anna, Cricket and Lola’s paths intersect once more, inching forward their own respective storylines in a finale that packs all the happy feels. Loved all three books in this series, and I cannot recommend them enough!

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Reading Order & Purchase Links

AnnaFrenchKissSmall LolaBoyNextDoorSmall IslaHappilyEverAfterSmall

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4 Comments:


  1. Maricris Patrimonio Dimla said:

    Love your review! Can’t wait to read Isla and Josh’ story! I already miss Etienne and Cricket!

    Reply

  2. Livia said:

    I’m so glad you got to read this wonderful series, Vilma. I read Lola’s book first and it was interesting to read in your interview article that Stephanie worked the longest on it. Her hard work payed off. It’s too bad she had to work through depression during the series but I am glad that this something wonderful came out of it and helped her work out some of her issues via the writing. =)

    Reply

  3. Julie N. said:

    This series is so cute. I need to read the last book to be complete. Thanks for the great review!

    Reply

  4. KeikoLucia said:

    Good review!, I really want to read that series so much!!!, I hear to much about this books, Thanks for the giveaway <3

    Reply

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