Anna and the French Kiss

A light, easy read without much substance. Although I suspect I am not part of the target demographic for a teen romance :)

\o/

I don't want to feel this way around him. I want things to be normal. I want to be his friend, not another stupid girl holding out for something that will never happen.

I had avoided this book for over a year, despite all the glowing reviews, just because I despise aaanything French. And also because I did not like the old cover at all. Based on that cover I was expecting something very cheesy and just not for me. But, once I finally decided to let go of those facts and just start reading it, I could not put it down.

I get both the people that are extremely excited about it and the ones that were disappointed because the main characters were so incredibly flawed. To me, they just seemed real. Like I was actually following a real story. I also found them endearing, no matter how immature they were behaving. Because I get where they're coming from and why they behaved like that.

Anna, is one of the most relatable fictional character I have read. And perhaps even Étienne. I am totally opposed to leading someone on when you're in a relationship and not ending that relationship despite being in love with someone that's not your partner just because you are too scared to be alone, but I understand why a teenager with Étienne's self esteem issue would do that.

The way they handled their love and basically just any relationship with the people around them was obviously so wrong, on so many levels, but so natural at that age. I'm older now and I know better, but when you're a teenager that grew up in a family where one of the parents is such a dominant and controlling figure, life can be pretty confusing. And you end up doing questionable stupid things, like these two. They were just barely starting to learn about making decisions, take responsibility for their actions and just figure out what they want.

And even though, deep inside, I was hoping the plot would take a different course, in the end, I was not disappointed because what happened was actually more realistic than what I had in mind.

There was one point where there was so much drama, drama, drama that my enthusiasm was dying like deflated balloon. But then I though about the first serious crush I had and how the world seemed to be crumbling around me because he seemed to like me, but he didn't confess his feelings either. And then every other non-love related issues I had during that time seemed to be unbearable. Now, when I look back I can hardly understand how I could be such a silly, naive girl. But all that “drama” and all the things I used to overreact when I was younger were amongst the things that helped shape who I am.

I looove Stephanie Perkins' writing, and I especially enjoyed the cute humor. At one point my boyfriend was watching me amused because I was giggling like crazy from under the blanket, barely able hold on to my Kindle. Overall, this was a great book for me.

I really liked this book. REALLY liked it. Stephanie Perkins did a wonderful job in telling a cute romantic story. I loved the fact that she used Paris as much as she could, without falling to the typical “city of love” crap. She actually described the city, not only its landmarks but the little things. I felt like I was there and she made me want to visit Paris someday.

Also, she created the ultimate perfect boy. I can't really put into words how much I loved St. Clair. Perkins incorporated everything, and I mean everything, that makes me swoon in one super perfect guy. Lucky Anna that gets to keep him ¬¬

That being said, there was something that bothered me quite a bit. I thought the book was really great because it had a nice story, lovely characters, great dialogues and awesome writing BUT almost at the end Stephanie Perkins unleashed the drama. 90210-type of drama and I felt it was completly unnecesary. To be honest, if she would have taken out the whole Dave and slut naming drama and just picked up where St. Clair's dad comes in I would have liked it a lot more. That's the only reason I'm giving it four stars. Oh! And I did hate that Anna seems to love every boy she lays her eyes on.

Cute, romantic, a bit cliched but a really nice book to make me forget the horrors of war in Clash of Kings.

2013 reread - yay, delicious fluff!

LOVED IT. Loved that even the more minor characters got some depth and layers. This book made me want to visit Paris again.

Omgsh!!!! Why is this book so good?!?!
I don't even know what to say.... I'm just so happy!!! Anna and Etienne are perfect! I love them so much!
* I have to let the greatness of this book sink in until I can write any type of a coherent review*
Ahhhh!!! So freaking good!!!!

So, I heard a lot of great things about this book. From people much younger than me. Who really like cutesy-cliche-love stories. And it was exactly that. Cutesy. Cliche. And some french kissing in France.

It's not a bad story, it's just that it is hard for me to keep reading something that is SO INSANELY PREDICTABLE.

Overall, it was good writing and gave me a couple of chuckles but I definitely wouldn't read it again.

Audio Book

I have to admit that this has been on my list for a while. Yes, it caught my attention. Yes, the cover is cute and the description interesting enough. But no, I was not in a hurry to read a YA chic lit/contemporary. Adult chic lit/contemporaries have no issues with. Mostly. However, I am always weary about YA chic lit/contemporaries because when you are my age you kind of lose the patience to deal with some of the off the wall things these kids do. You know, doing things they and everyone with a brain know they shouldn't do but because they are teens they get permission to just do it anyway. NO. No patience for that behavior especially since I didn't behave that way at that age. However, I thought that I would bump this one up on my list after attending a workshop where the author of this book spoke. She didn't really talk about her book but more about the genre. At any rate, she was extremely smart, down to Earth and cool! It was the push I needed to bump her book up on that TBR list. I'm glad I did.

It's Anna's senior year in high school and she has just been shipped off to Paris, France to attend a boarding school for American children. She's never been to France, doesn't know the language, doesn't know anyone and didn't want to be there to begin with. She is forced to start over and to be self-reliant whether she likes it or not.

I thought this book was extremely cute. It was a fast paced, light read and for the most part, very believable. You felt as if you were in France and could vividly see the streets of Paris and all its loveliness. All of the characters were well developed and you knew exactly what to expect from them. I grew to like all the likable characters and not so much the nasty characters. There always has to be at least one; there were a few in this one. There was the dreaded love triangle in this book but not too bad. I liked the friendship that blossomed between Anna and Etienne aka St. Clair aka Etienne St. Clair and how they dealt with their communication issues.

I won't lie, something happens between Anna and her best friend back home and although it might have been the presumed adult thing to do as an adult I would have NOT handled it the same way. LOL There is such a thing as GIRL CODE/WOMAN CODE/BESTIE CODE! COME ON! Something else that bugged me a bit was that we really don't get a clear justification from Anna's dad or his reasoning for sending her abroad senior year.

All in all it was a perfect coming of age, coming into your own, moving one step closer to adulthood read.

I must mention that the reader of this audio-book did a great job but could have worked on her English/British accent a bit better. :-)

Much respect to you Ms. Stephanie P. for writing the book YOU wanted to write and not what the industry dictated you write.

Sweet contemporary YA romance in a fabulous setting.

Love that the characters were flawed and not super perfect.

A cute read.

I added Anna and the French Kiss because almost everyone I knew had loved the book and had given it five stars. I was certainly surprised by this because if you read the title, look at the cover and read the synopsis it comes off as a light chick-lit read. Something to put you in a good mood for a bit but not something that would garner the amount of positive response from readers that it had received, so I picked it up.

It didn't take me long to finish Anna and the French Kiss, it really was a quick read filled with humour, romance and charm. The main character Anna has been shipped off to boarding school in Paris for her senior year without her consent and at first she's upset about this because she's being pulled from the only life she knows and being forced to adapt to a new culture and make friends. However, it doesn't take very long for Anna to find a group of friends to tag along after and soon after that it takes her even less time to become one of them especially when she instantly clicks with the beautiful Étienne St. Clair.

This novel was very much a romance and I knew that going in but I wasn't really that much invested in it. I certainly think that both Ann and Étienne have great chemistry, the way their dialogue just flows naturally back and forth between them and the way they both just seem to understand each other but I didn't really care if they got together and only wanted them to be together so that Anna could stop fawning over Étienne. What I really enjoyed was that the story wasn't just about the romance; it was about Anna coming to terms with herself. Like any other normal teenage girl Anna makes mistakes and she has flaws and dreams and it was great watching her make mistakes and learn from them and grow. It was also fun to read about her new group of friends in Paris, they were all unique individuals that stood out very fresh in mind and who I wouldn't have mind learning more about.

So I will be picking up Stephanie Perkins' next book (Lola and the Boy next Door) which is a companion piece to this novel about a different set of characters, because I did enjoy her story even if I didn't love it as much as everyone else.

Romance novels, much like sitcoms, provide a comforting familiarity that makes them easy to devour. They serve as a personal favorite literary indulgence, akin to a gentle laxative, effortlessly propelling me through their pages. When faced with more demanding reads that linger in my mind, these easy-to-digest romance books offer a welcome respite, ensuring my reading habit remains intact.Anna and the French Kiss was good for a debut novel. After all, the genre is chick lit, so if there were too many cliches in it I have only myself to blame for picking the book up in the first place. The writing was good, the dialogue was (sort of) cute, Anna was a likeable heroine, but (unlike everyone else, apparently) I didn't fall for St. Clair face first into a French carpet. Her second book, [b:Lola and the Boy Next Door 9961796 Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2) Stephanie Perkins https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1358271832l/9961796.SY75.jpg 7149084], really blew me away, it was fantastic. Anna is nothing compared to Lola, and Cricket will make you literally swoon. Rarely do I find a reflection of myself in the stories within these pages. That is not their intended outcome, romance novels first and foremost, are relied on to transport readers to worlds of love, passion, and happily-ever-afters. However, in Lola, a creatively eccentric and independent teenager on a journey of self-discovery through complex relationships, I did catch a glimpse of myself.

TOTALLY lives up to the hype.

I knew this book was good when I was so engrossed that I almost missed my train stop last night.

It started off a little bit slowly–but that's just because I am impatient with descriptions and things. A personal thing of mine, nothing wrong the author did. In fact, when I go to reread it, I know I'll be glad to read the descriptions of Paris. The beauty of this book is that it can be read quickly, then reread for savoring purposes.

Lots of funny things, complicated and complex relationships. Nothing was easy or simple. I liked that. I did feel like Amanda the Villain was a bit cliched, but the author acknowledged it and kind of made fun of that. I can respect an author who pokes fun at herself and her works.

I loved that the St. Clair/Etienne wasn't this one dimensional perfect boy. He had a temper. He was also super kind. He made dumb decisions. But he was loveable just the same. He was REAL and 3-dimensional without being a total jerk. Plus, he was British. Yum!

Anna is the kind of girl I'd love to hang out with. She just seems super cool. And definitely not a Mary Sue.

I was satisfied with the book. Contemporary, thick, and complex. :) I look forward to reading more from this author.

Anna is forced by her parents to spend her final high school year at a school in Paris. Oh poor Anna. The miseries of adolescents these days. She meets a clever and cute boy (those are always the best) but he seems to be taken. Sigh. Still, they can be friends. Very good friends.

One word: AWESOME!!!!!!

I'll admit that I have a wall up when it comes to books that revolve around romance. Too often I find that the relationship is the book is wholly unbelievable and it hampers my appreciation of the story. However sometimes I find a book that completely changes my mind, and makes me question my stance. Anna and the French Kiss was one of the few romantic books I've read that drew me in and stole my heart. That alone earns it my seal of approval.

Anna was initially a bit difficult for me to relate to, since she seemed to be so set on being bitter about her situation. I understood where she was coming from, but I really wanted to see her realization that she had been given a completely amazing opportunity! Once that happened, I saw the real Anna underneath and I fell in love with her. A sweet girl, Anna's open minded thought process and introspective personality really spoke to me. I think I saw a little bit of myself in her.

St. Clair is the type of swoon-worthy guy that many will fall in love with. His British side shines off the page, and his overall goofiness is a sweet addition to some otherwise awkward situations he seems to get himself into. My favorite part about St. Clair's character was his ability to see things in such a positive light. Even when he made a poor decision, which then in a true to life manner was blown out of proportion by Anna, he was able to look at the problem with positivity. He is the type of friend everyone wishes they had, always willing to talk things out before jumping to conclusions.

What really struck me most about this story, besides the gorgeous Paris setting, was the relatively small cast of characters presented. The story revolves around Anna and St. Clair mostly, with St. Clair's three original friends supporting. As a person who reads a lot of fantasy books, with huge amounts of characters, this was a refreshing change for me. The small cast allowed the characters to come to life and the reader to really get to know them. Stephanie Perkin's writing created a feeling of belonging. I felt as though I was a part of Anna's group from the moment they were introduced. It's a nice feeling to have while reading.

As I'm sure you can tell, I absolutely adored this book! In terms of a romance, it was perfection for me. The delicious tension between Anna and St. Clair, the beautiful setting, the sweet storyline, it all melded together into a stunning debut for Stephanie Perkins! I'm in love.