Anna and the French Kiss Book Review

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #1
Published by Usborne Publishing on 1st January 2014
Genres: YA
Pages: 400
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Anna has everything figured out - she was about to start senior year with her best friend, she had a great weekend job, and her huge work crush looked as if it might finally be going somewhere... Until her dad decides to send her 4383 miles away to Paris. On her own.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna finds herself making new friends, including Etienne, the smart, beautiful boy from the floor above. But he’s taken – and Anna might be too. Will a year of romantic near-missed end with the French kiss she’s been waiting for?

Magical…really captures the feeling of being in love.” – CASSANDRA CLARE

“Very sly. Very funny. Very romantic. You should date this book.” - MAUREEN JOHNSON

This was a reread, I’ve been in a kind of a reading slump and needed something super fun that was a guaranteed enjoyable read. Anna and the French Kiss was the book for that! Talk about fun and romantic and all the angst. This book is addictive in every sense of the word, and the characters just make you smile.

The one thing I wasn’t completely comfortable with was the use of terminal illness, I felt as though it was used poorly and that the plot didn’t necessarily need for it to happen to move forward. I just thought that it could have been handled better and integrated better into the storyline. It could have been a lot worse and that’s what I’m holding onto because the rest of the book made me swoon.

I think the best part about Anna and the French Kiss would have to be the romance element, it was a slow burn kind of thing and in YA that is so rare (well rarer than insta love stories). It was a refreshing change to have a romance build naturally and to see the characters grow with one another.

Also, can we just talk about how well rounded everyone in this book is? They all have their own flaws, insecurities and personalities. Plus all the secondary characters as well. It made the story all the more lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the different characters and the way the dynamics in their relationships change and grow. It was really well done.

My favourite character was St Clair and for all the wrong reasons. He is the most swoon-worthy character EVER! Plus he’s really into history and that makes me super happy! I love it when characters are into the same things I am, it’s just one of those things that make reading about them all the better!

The least favourite character has to be Meredith, I couldn’t understand her or her motivations. Her mood swings were unpredictable and I didn’t really understand her and Anna’s friendship. She definitely isn’t the worst character I’ve read but far from the best!

I would recommend Anna and the French Kiss in a heartbeat. It’s a fun feel-good read that makes your heart beat faster and you swoon all over the place. There’s just no stopping it!

Have you read this series? What did you think about the characters? Did you swoon all over the place? English guys do that to me!