Isla and the Happily Ever After
#yabookblog #bookblog #bookblogger #ireadya #yabooks #stephanieperkins #islaandthehappilyeverafter #annaandthefrenchkiss
Isla and the Happily Ever After - published 2015
"Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.
Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series." - Goodreads
WHAT I LIKED
I liked Isla more than Anna, quite honestly. I think she has more substance to her, and I think a lot of teens can relate to her insecurities more; she believes she isn't worthy of being loved and pushes Josh away when things get serious.
I still love the Paris setting.
Kurt. Kurt has Autism and is the voice of reason for Isla when she is being ridiculous.
Josh. He is secretly super smart despite his lack of concern for school and its rules, a senator's son, romantic and he's writing his own graphic novel. I also like that Isla is in his same dorm room from A&TFK.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
I still maintain that high school seniors are too young to commit to one person FOREVER. It's cute, and I was rooting for them, but I wish they were a little older. However, given the plot, I understand the need for their age; college decisions and future locations play a significant role.
THOUGHTS I HAD WHILST READING THIS BOOK
This is the last book of the series?! A student told me it was book #2 and I believed her. It didn't seem to matter, though, as everything still made sense. They could be standalones, though they're woven together with a few minor overlapping characters. What's a girl gotta do to get authors to put a number on the spine of a series?
Eye-la is the pronunciation. That is not at all how I was saying it in my head. Oops.
(Spoiler) Knowing the title, I anticipated Isla and Josh getting together, and when they do so much of the book is left. I was disinterested for a little while because I assumed the rest of the book was just going to be them happily dating...aka boring. I was pleasantly surprised when things picked up significantly and there was drama added to their seemingly perfect coupling.
It took me so long to read the first half that my library ebook loan ended and I had to check it out again; I was at the 50% mark that this point and finished it that day. The second half is significantly more exciting than the first.
Whoa. This one is much edgier than Anna & the French Kiss.
Oh, so that's how Lola gets her own book! Within each of these three books a minor character is mentioned in a significant scene, and she then becomes the protagonist of the next book. Near the end of Isla we met Lola who seems like an eccentric and energetic main character for my third book of the series.
