Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Synopsis:

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.

I am so happy that this book captivated me from start to finish. I so badly wanted it to be better than Lola and the Boy Next door, and IT WAS! So, I was thrilled.

We are back in Paris for this novel like the first one. I think that may have been part of what made a big difference. The second book was just so unlike these two that it didn’t feel like the same series at all.

In this one, we meet Isla who has been in love with Josh for years. Once they begin talking, she becomes aware that he has feelings for her as well, and it goes from there.

These books seem so much more romantic and sweet since they take place in Paris, a city that is known for romance.

I enjoyed Isla and Josh more than Lola and Cricket which made it even easier to read this one too. They had great chemistry right from the beginning, and it was hard to not get completely lost in their story.

This was a great 3^rd book. I think it is only supposed to be a trilogy, but I find myself hoping for more books in this series.

5/5 stars

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Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins – PART TWO

Synopsis:

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the 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.

I wrote a part one to this review when I was almost half way through the book. That can be found here.

I think I stopped at the right part when I wrote the first review. That is because I actually enjoyed the second half of the book. I really didn’t like the first half, but it was driving me a bit crazy that I didn’t finish it since I have the 3^rd book in the series. So, I decided to go back and give it another try and I am glad I did.

If I hadn’t, I would be under the impression forever that this is a horrible book, and it isn’t. It just takes a long time to get going. The characters take a lot of getting used to. But, once you reach the second half of the book, it turns into a pretty sweet teen romance book.

I would recommend finishing the book if you like cheesy teen romance books. That’s what you will get here.

Final half grade: 4/5 stars.

OVERALL grade: 2.5/5 stars.

Memorable Quote: “There’s something about blue eyes. The kind of blue that startles you every time they’re lifted in your direction. The kind of blue that makes you ache for them to look at you again. Not blue green or blue gray, the blue that’s just blue.”

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Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins – PART ONE

Synopsis:

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the 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.

I say this is part one because I am nearly halfway through the book.

Why am I publishing a review then? Because it is boring me to tears.

I hate leaving books unfinished because I take the time to read them when I could be reading and reviewing other books. But, I can just not make myself finish this one right now.

I loved the first book in this series, Anna and the French Kiss. It was fun, it was cute, and it was easy to read. The characters were likeable and the story was sweet.

Lola and the Boy Next Door has the MOST obnoxious protagonist. I feel like the author put may too much effort into making her quirky but it just comes off as pretentious and annoying.

This book has put me in a reading slump because I would rather do pretty much anything else than read through Lola’s perspective.

Im not even starring this. I will if I come back to it.