Isla and the Happily Ever After

It's senior year for Isla at the American School in Paris.... but the thing is, she's not sure what is next.  She doesn't have dreams and goals like the rest of her classmates have.  She's sort of fallen into the number one spot academically, but her true interests remain a mystery... and that scares her.  One interest she KNOWS she has is in Josh, the brooding, artistic, son of a senator that she's been crushing on since freshman year.  After an awkward run-in with him the summer before school starts, they begin a mild-flirtation which progresses into a full-on relationship.  But too soon into all of this Josh and Isla face major obstacles... distance, family problems, and that lingering doubt in Isla's mind that she's just not good enough.

Just So You Know: You DO NOT have to read the other books in the series to enjoy this book!!












The thing I love about reading Stephanie Perkins books is that I can get lost and engrossed in the atmosphere and the feelings.  I read Anna and Lola, so I was really looking forward (and waiting a looooong time) to read this book.  I didn't remember Isla (or Josh that much) from Anna.  I have to admit when I was reading that book, all I cared about was St. Clair and Anna.  The other characters didn't exactly stick with me.  And it was a long time ago that I read it, so that could be another reason.

This book though.... it's not really ABOUT much.  Somehow the author managed to write a book about nothing else besides a teenage relationship and make it not at all boring or annoying.  I'm not sure how she does it.  But the feelings and romance sucked me in.

The book is set in Paris and New York... and Barcelona a little bit.  Isla and Josh are falling in love in all 3 cities and it was SO cute and romantic.  I feel like all of the different atmospheres ended up playing a role in their romance, and I loved that.  Isla is so unsure of herself and her goals, whereas Josh is a serious artist and knows that's what he's going to do for the rest of his life.  He suggests she apply to Dartmouth, a college she'd never even heard of, so that she could be close to him after high school.  That's sort of where her doubts start creeping in.  She doesn't want to be this blank piece of paper that follows a guy around.  She wants to have a purpose and she can't understand how anyone would want to be with someone who doesn't have one.  She also doesn't think that Josh could truly love her without her being a fully established person.

My favorite part of this book was definitely Isla's wity and cute sense of humor.  She always had great timing with the things she said.  It made me wish I could be more like that.  I also really liked the relationship that she had with her best friend, Kurt, and her sisters.

If you were a fan of Anna and the French Kiss and/or Lola and the Boy Next Door, you won't be disappointed by this.  It holds that same chemistry and magic that those books do, same cute boy/girl interactions.  Same overall feeling that to me is warm and magical.  And bonus- appearances by Cricket, Lola, St. Clair, Anna, Meredith, and Calliope (sort of).

OVERALL: Yes to this final book in the series!!  I loved going back to the American School in Paris and I loved falling in love with Isla and Josh.  Stephanie Perkins is definitely a go-to for YA Contemporary Romance.  This book was full of life, warmth, and a journey of one girl to find herself.  I recommend to ALL!!!


Add it to your To-Read List!!!

My Rating: 4/4

How I got this book: I bought it
Date Published: 8/14/2014