Series: Anna and the French Kiss #1
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication Date: December 2, 2010
Source/Format: Bought || Paperback
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? (from Goodreads)
I first read Anna and the French Kiss in 2011. Back then, I knew it was special, particularly because it had gotten my non-reader best friend to read. So, when the opportunity to indulge in a reread came, I totally took it! I figured it would be fun to revisit an old favorite, plus I'd finally be able to write a review.
When I finished my reread of Anna and the French Kiss, this was my first thought: I adore this book as much as the first time I ever read it. It's seriously a strong young adult contemporary! I loved the Paris setting, loved the idea of SOAP, loved this little group of friends (Meredith, Rashmi, Josh (!!!), Etienne, Anna), loved the way the romance developed - I loved it all. I couldn't stop smiling while I read Anna and the French Kiss, because it was making me crazy giddy happy.
Anna is my all-time favorite Stephanie Perkins girl. (Translation: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER.) She's a neat freak, and she's awkward, and she's perfectly comfortable about both, if a little shy. She's also got a sarcastic side, and a sense of humor, both of which make her internal monologue so freaking awesome. Anna is passionate about movies and wanting to be a film critic, and it was a treat to be reminded just how sacred movies are for her. Anna is nice, and she's real, and I totally think that if we met in real life, we'd be friends.
Because I love Anna so, Anna and the French Kiss is seriously fun to read. I'd forgotten how easily the story flows from chapter to chapter! Really, it's totally cute. And totally fun. And totally swoony, albeit with a pretty big dose of drama. Honestly, it's got that rom-com feel, but you are definitely never going to hear a complaint from me when it comes to that!
Of course, Anna's story involves other people, among them one Etienne St. Clair. Etienne is confident and charming, charismatic and smart, and just so easy to be around. He's a good guy, if a bit flawed, and it's no surprise he charms Anna (and me) right away. I'm a huge fan of his fascination with history, his devotion to his mother, and his positive attitude. Even though they didn't have the most ideal of circumstances, it will surprise no one that I was totally rooting for Anna and Etienne to get their happily ever after!
Honestly, just typing up this review for Anna and the French Kiss feels incredibly inadequate. It feels like there are no words that can fully capture how I feel about it, or even explain every single nuance of those feelings. I'll leave you with this: If you like a romance you can root for and authentic characters with a great personality, you'd better have Anna and the French Kiss on your reading list (or rereading list).
I think I read this the first time in 2011, too. This review is really making me want to find time for a re-read! And then I'm sure a re-read of Lola would quickly follow.
ReplyDeleteI've read this one twice. I liked it more the second time than the first, but I didn't go further with the series. (FOR SHAME). I honestly liked the short story in the recent Christmas anthology better, but I think that is part because of the story and part because of the NC setting. *wink* I DO plan to reread this one this year as part of the ReRead Challenge because I want to finish the series!
ReplyDeleteALSO, I just bought The Traitor's Wife today! YAY. I see that you're currently reading it and it looks so great. Plus great cover. Great minds!
This one is on my reread list! I'm so glad you loved it again! I was iffy about it before the first time I read it, but it was so adorable! I just hope I like it again when I finally get back to it. :D
ReplyDeleteAnna is my favourite out of the three ladies as well. She's just so great!
ReplyDeleteI read this one I think three times and love it so much! Such a great read :)
ReplyDeletefinefemmereview.blogspot.com
I'm all in for 50! LOL, though it helps that fantasy is pretty much all I read...
ReplyDeleteYes! I reread this one every year and it's always so good! I think this year I'll reread her second book since it's been forever since I read it last! I'm soooo happy you loved this!
ReplyDeleteSO excited to find this! Signing up right now. :) One question: can I increase my challenge later in the year if I meet it early? Thanks. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I saw someone else ask but hadn't seen the answer...do re-reads count? I'm doing a re-read of Harry Potter and wanted to check before I count the ones I've already read. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteYes! I loved the story and the friendships and the idea of having a small school overseas like that. I try to reread it once a year, or whenever I need a little pick me up. It's my favourite contemporary by far. I swear this book is half the reason I ended up travelling to France when I did.
ReplyDeleteWooo excited for this! I'm in for 30! :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like so much fun! I'm going to shoot for 15 :)
ReplyDeleteYes, re-reads count. Rachel told me on Twitter. I'm actually planning to re-read the HP series this year, too :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome :D
ReplyDeleteI'm all signed up now :D First on my reading list: re-reading Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone!
ReplyDeleteJust stumbled across this! I will do a blog post link up next week, but I think I can confidently say now 25 fantasy books in 2015!
ReplyDeleteJust going to 25 for now, since I'm doing a ton of challenges.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm joining this one. I'll try to read 5 to 10 books. I've joined a lot of challenges this year.
ReplyDeleteI just signed up for the Flights of Fantasy Challenge. I hope to finish reading 30 fantasy books this 2015. :)
ReplyDeleteAlright... so I'm getting into fantasy again. I'm going to go for ten books this year.
ReplyDeleteMy plan for the whole year is 70 books, so I think I can easily make 25 of those fantasy. It's my favorite of the genres. It'll also give me an excuse to try fantasy books I haven't branched out to before.
ReplyDeleteC.J.
My objective for this year is to read at least 50 books, 20 of those fantasy. It's my favourite genre and after recently reading the Mistborn Trilogy I became a Brandon Sanderson fan and really want to read his other books.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for this challenge! My goal is to read 50 books this year, with 30 books being fantasy. However, I feel like I'll exceed that goal, but we'll see how things go!
ReplyDeleteLaurie @ abookloverswalk.blogspot.com. I will be reading 50 books for this challenge.
ReplyDeleteHey I want to participate too! I'll be reading 20 fantasies and I'm also doing a post on my blog about reading challenges, if you want to check it out: http://bookswarm.me/
ReplyDelete:))
This sounds like a lot of fun. I'm aiming to read 10 fantasy books this year, which is realistic for me.
ReplyDeleteOooh fantasy is my favorite!! So I am going to aim for 30 as well! I already have several that you mentioned in the personal favs and joint favs on my TBR or reread list so this is perfect! Will push me to get some of these books on my fantasy TBR read!!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to this fun challenge. Thank you. :)
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