Hey everyone! Here I am with another Mini Review Monday created by me, where you write a short review for a book/series you haven’t reviewed on your blog. Because either you read the book before you started blogging or you never got around to it. If you decide to participate in this new meme, please feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments below. Also! Let the people know if it’s a non-spoiler/spoiler review.
Title: Anna and the French Kiss (Book #1)
Series: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, YA
Published: December 2nd, 2010
Read: October 2014 (paperback, own)
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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?
This book is added to my all time favorite books of my life. I feel like this is the perfect YA contemporary.
We meet Anna who lives in Atlanta but her father who’s an author (he gave me Nicholas Sparks vibes) sends her to boarding school in Paris. Anna isn’t looking forward to the move at all. However things change around once she meets people and gains new friends plus meets a boy in the city of love, Etienne St. Clair.
The only problem with Etienne is that he has a girlfriend and is also fighting his feelings with Anna. Which I found a tad bit problematic.
I loved how realistic Stephanie Perkins made these characters to be. Anna is taller than Etienne and she has a gap between her teeth. Etienne isn’t the best looking guy either, definitely not your typical buff built teenager we tend to read in YA. We also meet other characters who range in diversity.
What I loved most was the setting. Stephanie definitely made me feel like I was in Paris whilst reading the book. I imagined everything vividly. Stephanie had the characters visit different tourist locations of Paris that was awesome to read about and imagine.
Although this is a YA Romance Contemporary, Stephanie also touches on other topics like family, inclusion, and friendship.
This is definitely a light fluffy read that I would recommend on any given day.
A Favorite Quote:
“For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.”
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I have a gap too! 🙂 I love Anna and the French Kiss. I read it a couple of years ago, as well as Lola and the Boy Next Door. Stephanie Perkins is a great writer. I really like this idea, writing a mini-review for a book you read before starting blogging. I might try this sometime. Great review 🙂 I agree with the setting. She really does bring you right in to Paris.
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Thanks so much!!! Aren’t these characters the cutest? I love them so much. Stephanie definitely transported us to another country =)
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No problem! Yeah, they are. Makes you want your own Etienne St Clair. She does indeed!
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Out of all the boys, I loved Cricket the most. Sorry but Cricket will do lol ❤
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Cricket’s in another league. If we’re talking all three books, I completely agree. I liked Lola’s book much better than Anna’s but I can still appreciate a good male lead.
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Yes agreed! My next two mondays will be about Lola and Isla so stay tuned *evil laugh* ❤
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Awesome, can’t wait! I’ll keep my eyes peeled, haha.
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=D
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Awww… this is the daily dose of cute… 🙂 I’ll read it when one of those cute moods strikes me… which may never happen, because gore, horror, elves and co take up my time…:D But will keep an eye out for it in the library..
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lmaooooo that’s okay!!! buuuut if you ever have one of those days, then you’ll always have anna!
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😀 sure thing… I’ll even wear a dress when that day comes!
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HAHAHA!!!!
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I stiiiiill haven’t gotten around to read this one. *sighs* Nonetheless great review!
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thanks so much! pleaaassseeee read this series
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I wiiiiiil! 😀
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This series has always caught my eye, the covers & character names. It looks & sounds like the perfect light read we all need. I love that quote about home being a person, I’m a firm believer of this 😉
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Yes me too!!! Whenever you need a light fluffy cute read, remember that this one is waiting on you!
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This is definitely on my TBR! I just need to get around to buying and reading it now *sigh* But great review 😀
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thank you! i hope you like it when you get around to it =)
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I have yet to read this book but I’ve always heard it was so good! I love your review, it makes me want to read it 🙂
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Thank you!!! I think you would like it!
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Every time I read a review for this one I want to pull it off my shelf and reread it. I adore Anna and the French Kiss and Stephanie really does make you feel like you’re in Paris while reading it. Lovely review! 😊
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I want to reread it all the time lol but so many books and so little time!!
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Yes! The struggles of having never ending TBRs. 😂
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Seriously!
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That quote is so cute. 🙂 Love this review. I’ve seen this book everywhere lately and yours is the first review I’ve read. I’m loving mini review Monday. 🙂
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Thanks so much Jill!!! I feel like if you end up liking Attachments then maybe you’ll like this series. I know one is adult and the other is YA but I’ve seen the correlation amongst others who’ve read both and loved them
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Yeah, I’m planning to check it out at some point. I keep setting a TBR each month and not sticking to it. 😂 I have Attachments I’m just waiting for it to come in my shipping container. I bet I’d read that in one sitting. It didn’t look like a very big book.
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Lol I suck at TBRs cause I’m such a mood reader. Attachments is short! So maybe. And you’ll fly through it even more cause of the email format in some chapters.
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I’m the same way. I had all these books planned out and haven’t read any of them. 😂 I’ve read 500 page books in one day. I’m thinking if I really like Attachments I’ll fly through it.
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Lol I admire you cause I can’t do that at all 😂
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If I like a book, I get crazy and hold onto it for dear life until I’ve finished it. I won’t move from wherever I’m reading it until I’m done. I’m nuts. Lol 😂
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Cute review for a cute book! This is probably the only YA contemporary that I can read again and again. Etienne and Cricket are ❤
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Yes I completely agree!!!
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[…] Gretchen @ chicnerdreads […]
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I have only heard great things about this book, and the other books Stephanie Perkins has written. I don’t know why I haven’t read it already– probably because my library doesn’t carry it. 😦 Almost all my reading comes from library books. I wish there was a eBook lending program!
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Jackie are you from the USA? I was wondering because there is something called Overdrive. I think you can request Anna and the French Kiss, they should be able to order it for you.
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I am in the USA! My library doesn’t have a license for Anna and the French Kiss on Overdrive at this point– but I didn’t realize I could request they order it! I just recommended it. Hopefully my library will listen. 🙂
Thanks for the tip!!
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Yes, here in the USA you can request books to order. I really do hope they order it for you ❤
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Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know. 😉
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Eek!
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So I have a very hard time with YA Contemporary these days. I don’t know if it is because I am pushing 30 and it just doesn’t apply to me anymore or what. Is it too much to ask for a well written YA contemporary that isn’t filled with cringe worthy clichés and tropes? I’ve actually only heard wonderful things about this book. The fact that the author creates a cast of REALISTIC characters and includes beautiful depictions of the setting makes me have hope for this one!
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I don’t read tons of YA Contemporary Romance because I find myself with the same issues as you. I’m 27 so sometimes I ask myself “is it me and my old age?” but then again, like you said its filled with cliches and tropes. I really loved this one though and I feel like anyone can easily love this. I hope you like it =)
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I’m so very glad I’m not alone!
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😉
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Great review for this book! Anna and the French Kiss is one of my favourite YA contemporaries as well, I love the characters and the story but above all I love the setting. I agree with what you said about the author taking us around the tourist locations as Anna and Etienne visited them and it really made this book stand out for me. I’ve been to Paris before a couple of times so reading this book was almost like getting to go back in a way! 😀
Great review. 🙂
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So jealous that you’ve been to Paris!!!! Happy to hear that you enjoyed the book as well =)
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Glad you enjoyed the fluffy book! 😊
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Thank you!!
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