Review & Giveaway: Anna and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Published: December 2, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Books

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss??

My Thoughts

Anna and the French Kiss was an absolute hit. It immediately took top rank in my fave YA romance, chicky-type lit reads and there was absolutely no doubt I’ll be reading this book every year over and over again. The blokes and blokettes were loveable, the storyline was perfect, and the light romance was a thing of shear beauty. I could go on an on about how much this book made me feel light hearted and happy… just plain ole happy, but you’re just going to have to experience it for yourself.

In this book, Anna is shipped off to SOAP, School of America in Paris by her Nicholas Sparky-type author dad; and she’s absoltuely homesick, lost and insecure as she doesn’t speak a lick of French. Along comes the best crew of characters and not only befriend Anna, but drag her out of her dorm to experience the city of Paris and all of its wonders. As the book progresses, Anna and St. Clair develop a lovey type friendship that they eventually must acknowledge, but not without some messy sitches along the way.

My favorite scenes in the book: Anna and St. Clair’s tour of the city, their Turkey dinner in Paris, yelling down the halls and stairwell during the holiday, sleepovers, multiple trips to the cinema, the flight home, the emails back and forth, the New Year’s telephone call, Whyareyougivingawaythecookies?, the banana bead, Pablo Neruda poetry book... I love Neruda! Gah! I could go on and on, so let’s just say I loved it all.

St. Clair was absolute perfection, yummier than a fluffy croissant. Anna was adorably awesome and flawed, the type of girl that you’d love to pinch her cheeks and run like hell. Together, their story was full of enjoyable moments that reminded me how sporadically awesome it was to be a teenager. Loved it!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Do I recommend it?? Ummm bloody hell yeah!

5 Snowflakes

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Published: September 29, 2011

Publisher: Dutton Books

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My Thoughts

♥ ♥ ♥ ABSOLUTELY CRUSH-WORTHY♥ ♥ ♥

HOLY CRICKET!! I absolutely fell in love with Lola and the Boy Next Door! I’m not denying it, I have a HUGE crush on this book. Stephanie Perkins, without a doubt did it again.

In this story, Lola, a budding designer with a quirky sense of style, has her world turned upside down when her old neighbors, the Bells, move back into their San Francisco Victorian home. It's been two years since she's seen the Bell twins; and her last encounter with Cricket was a hard lesson that crushes hurt like hell. Well this time around Lola is determined not to fall for him again. Why should she? She's older, more confident, has a sexy rocker boyfriend, it's all good... right? WRONG!

Lola and Cricket had me smiling like an absolute dork the entire time. There was no way I could have read this book in public because I swear I was making some laugh-at-me faces. I just adore Perkins' style of delivering a slow building romance that blends perfectly with the flow of the entire story. As a reader, you can't help but fall into the storyline and ultimately resist the coming of the final chapters. It's the type of book you want to continue for endless chapters.

There were parts of the story that reminded me of Pretty in Pink with Lola's quirky style and hand-made costumes. Cricket was pretty amazing too in the fashion department. These two made a perfect pair. Also, it was such a pleasure to have Anna and Etienne be a part of this novel. If you fell for Etienne in Anna and the French Kiss...watch out! You’ll swoon for him even harder in this book.

As always, the writing was sharp, the characters were flawed to perfection, and the storyline was one that will have you smiling and sighing with love.

5 Snowflakes

And now for a giveaway!! WinterHaven Books is offering one lucky follower a chance to win a SIGNED copy of Anna and the French Kiss! Simply fill out the rafflecopter and share a thoughtful comment about the books, author or reviews. Good luck!

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