Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss, book #3
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

It felt like we all waited ages for this book. The release date got pushed a couple times I thought. You would think I'd have read it right away.... but nope.. I didn't read it until almost a full year from release. I do that lot. I crave a book, buy it when it comes out, and then it sits forever. I still have Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey on my kindle. For shame! I loved the Fifth Wave and needed that book like immediately. Pathetic I tell ya. 

I considered doing Audio with Isla, but changed my mind because some the the reviews on Audible didn't speak too highly of the narrator, so I went with the kindle version. 

I liked it. I would almost say I loved it, but not as much as I had hoped I would. I adored Isla's character back when I read Anna and the French Kiss. We didn't see much of her back then, but I was intrigued and very excited when I saw she would be writing a book involving her. 

It didn't hold the magic Anna held though. You see, Anna and the French Kiss was the first YA Contemporary I ever read. So it's like my first love. Nothing else compares. My favorite part about Isla was the cameo's all the previous characters made towards the end. 

Now I'm not saying Isla and the Happily Ever After is a bad book. It's really quite good, but it's my least favorite so far of Perkins. While there were some really sweet swoony things, I didn't find Isla's relationship with Josh very realistic. Or even healthy at times. She was kind of obsessed with him to the point of creepy. I was cheering for her though. I had a huge crush for my last two years in highschool, and we finally hooked up once after graduation. It was awesome and disappointing all at the same time. lol. But mostly awesome because I always wondered. But anyway, I kinda knew how she was feeling when he finally saw her. ya know? 

Overall, it was cute. Even if Isla was annoying sometimes. I will still read anything Perkins writes, because she popped my literary contemp cherry. :) 

About the author:

Hi, there! I'm Steph, and I wrote ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, and ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. I also edited (and contributed a short story to) a romantic holiday anthology called MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME. My next YA novel will be horror—a teen slasher published by Dutton.

Find Stephanie:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

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Labels: Dutton, isla and the happily ever after, reviews, stephanie perkins

Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss, book #3
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

Ermahgerd...cuteness overload, guys! I didn't review Anna or Lola back in the day, and I hadn't planned on reviewing Isla either but I just have to gush about the level of happy this book left me with. I'm still riding on cloud nine and I finished it last Wednesday, less than 24 hours after it arrived in my hands. I mean, when you wait three agonizing years for a new book from one of your very favorite contemporary authors, you can't NOT devour it, right? ;0)

Anyway, I read the excerpt that was provided on Netgalley a couple of months ago, and I just knew I was going to love Isla. She was sweet and awkward and the Perkins protagonist I probably most identify with -- even if Lola is still my favorite. =) I loved seeing this normally quiet girl hopped up on pain meds, taking a chance on a boy she totally thought was out of her league, standing up for and by her friend, and taking risks for once in her life. And I don't just mean with a boy but with her life and with her future.

Obviously the focus of this book is the romance -- it is called Isla and the Happily Ever After after all. But I liked that it was kind of the opposite of how many romance novels tend to go. Instead of waiting and waiting...and waiting for the couple to get together, Isla starts out almost immediately with Isla and Josh admitting that they've always been interested in each other. And they're finally, finally acting on it, and they are just so freaking adorable. I love that I didn't spend over half the book waiting for them to realize their feelings for each other, that they so freely admitted how they felt pretty much from the get-go.

It felt more like a genuine relationship, with a tiny bit of the "does he or doesn't he?" and the usual insecurities to balance it out and make it seem realistic. They didn't play games; they just wanted to be together. And so they were. Until Isla's insecurities and Josh's past -- issues that are present in most relationships -- get in the way of their happily ever after. That part I didn't enjoy so much because Isla was a tad melodramatic about it all. But it was necessary to show each character's growth during their separation and how much they truly did care about one another if they could come together again and try to make it work. If they were both just willing to take a chance.

Though this isn't a true trilogy, Isla still felt like a satisfying ending to all three books. It was such a charming, quirky love story, and I liked the cameos from previous characters and how their stories concluded, as well...something you won't often hear from me as I normally like to keep the characters and stories separate, even in a series of companion novels like this. But with Stephanie Perkins' characters, I can't help myself. I want everyone to get their happy ending. Whether you've read the previous books or not, if you enjoy YA contemporary novels even a smidgeon, I think you're going to love this one. It is just So. Doggone. Cute!

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Hi, there! I'm Steph, and I wrote ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, and ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. I also edited (and contributed a short story to) a romantic holiday anthology called MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME. My next YA novel will be horror—a teen slasher published by Dutton.

Find Stephanie:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

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Labels: all the feels, all the swoons, beautiful covers, contemporary, favorite authors, favorites, foreign setting, isla and the happily ever after, penguin, reviews, stephanie perkins

Waiting on Wednesday: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Series: companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next Door
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: September 17, 2013

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

Why I'm waiting:  I only recently discovered the awesomeness that is Stephanie Perkins, but it was like love at first, er, read.  I listened to the audio for Anna and then I read Lola along with Em (not her first read, but she wanted to read along with me), and in all probability, Em and I will be reading Isla together, too.  If there was ever an author I was going to stalk, it would be this one.  She writes books that make my heart sososo happy.  I am so hoping for a happy ending for Isla and Josh.  And I can't wait to see more of Anna, Étienne, Lola and Cricket.  (Especially Cricket!)

Also I LOVE the new covers.  Admittedly, I wished they had been released prior to my purchase of the hardcovers, but que sera sera.  I know some people are disappointed with the cover changes, but I love them.  The setting in each of these novels becomes a character in itself, and I love that the new covers showcase them so beautifully.  And the color scheme is so fun!  I actually kind of want to purchase Anna and Lola again so I can have these beauties on my shelf...and I never do that.

What are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!

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Labels: contemporary, isla and the happily ever after, must-read, penguin, stephanie perkins, waiting on wednesday (wow)