Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss, #3)

by Stephanie Perkins

“Stephanie Perkins’ characters fall in love the way we all want to, in real time and for good.”—Rainbow Rowell

“This adorable YA romance is half New York love story, half Parisian romance, and fully prepared to make your heart melt quicker than a gelato dropped on a sidewalk.”—MTV.com

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.

• ISBN10: 014242627X
• ISBN13: 9780142426272
• Publish Date: 4 August 2015 (first published 14 August 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Speak
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780142426272

Reviews

[sarahjay]

I wish I'd had this to read when I was in high school, but I also think I read it at the exact right time.

[jeannamichel]

The best part had to be with the one with St. Clair and Anna. Oh so adorable!!

---
Isla and the Happily Ever After was one of my most anticipated reads of 2014 and sadly, it didn’t fill my expectations. Having said that, if some things were different, I would have liked it much more. The problem with having high expectations is just that—I was expecting this grand, adorable read and I didn’t like it as much as the first two.

Stephanie Perkins is a fabulous writer—she writes the cutesiest romances I have ever read. I love love love them. While John Green made “Okay?” a romantic word, Stephanie Perkins makes everything romantic: even doodles done in class. What I loved in her previous novels so much was that these romances could actually happen. A girl becoming friends with a guy: relationship blossoms. A girl living next door to guy: relationship begins. But this one, as much as it was unbearably romantic, cute, and everything I could hope from a Perkins novel- it was nowhere near as realistic as the other two.

Isla, a very shy girl, crushes on the same guy for years. The way she talks about him to her best friend, Kurt, borders on obsession. When she finally starts going out with Josh, the guy she has been watching from afar, something just clicks. Which can, of course, happen in real life. However, Isla’s crush seemed so huge and I feel like something would have happened a bit different than what did. A lot of her instantaneous relationship with Josh (come on, just one month), felt like a dream.

Ever since readers met Josh in Anna, I always really liked him. An artist. Gorgeous guy. Very clever. Smart but relaxed. Studies in Paris. Lives in New York City. Yes, sounds awesome to me. He is the type of character, I really want to know in real life. Isla is relatable. She clicks with the readers because of her crush- she basically embodies every girl who has ever had a crush and then finally gets to date him. Though there was nothing that made me fall in love with her character.

Can I tell you how much I love the new covers? I’m always upset when publishers change covers between series because now my set doesn’t match. Still, I am so happy because isn’t the book gorgeous? The series, altogether, matches so perfectly.

The ending, though a bit rushed, was exactly as advertised. Happy.

Isla and the Happily Ever After does not live up to pervious Perkins’ novels, where the plot is concerned, but it makes for a cute and enjoyable read.

[Joséphine]

Actual rating: 3.5

[nitzan_schwarz]

Originally reviewed on my blog.

Honestly, it pains me to write this review. I've read and loved Anna and Lola, and I've been eagerly awaiting and expecting Isla. The many five stars reviews that flooded the net before and after the publication stoked my excitement even more. I couldn't wait! I opened the book the very same day I got it, and at first, it seemed perfect. But then, something shifted. The veil has lifted, if I was to be dramatic about it, and I realized... well, I realized this book was nothing special.

At first, I was thrilled (and, honestly, surprised) we didn't have to wait the whole book for them to get together. They were so sweet and adorkable, and it made me happy. But I guess here is the problem with this book; because it didn't have 300 pages of not being together to occupy the plot, there had to be some other problems ahead of them--and those "problems" were really annoying, and made me hate Isla, the main character.

From the moment their "problems" started popping up (mainly Isla being impossible and stupid and mad at the silliest things that Josh couldn't help any more than she can! He has a past! So do you! Get over it and stop being a bitch!) it was SO hard for me to read this book. And those are words I never thought I'd use for a Stephanie Perkins novel. I had to convince myself to continue, and mostly I found other things to occupy my time (like, the internet). It took me five days to finish the book, and for me that's a lot. Especially for a book I was so excited for, whose seniors I've finished in a day each.

At the end, this book never managed to get me to fall in love together with Josh and Isla. Frankly, it couldn't even convince me of that love. That's right - I didn't believe the love in a Stephanie Perkins book. I know, this is probably blasphemy. But it's the unfortunate truth. At a certain point I was just like "why are they so in love? Like, seriously. What's holding them together?"

Also, book-wise, it felt to me like this book tried too hard to be... sexy? And I know, the word "adorkable" and "sexy" sound weird in the same context, but there you have it anyway. The "heat" in this book is umped up, and I can't say I loved it because it didn't feel natural to me. 
Plus, I really disliked Isla telling Josh's story through his memoir. I don't know, it kind of bored me, even though it shouldn't have.

BUT, all that being said, I did enjoy the beginning and end of the book (from the moment Isla got over herself). And I do think this is a fun contemporary. It just didn't live up to the standard I've come to expect from Stephanie. And, I'm a minority, so don't let my rant-ish review to deter you from reading this book, okay? ;-)

[bumblingbookworm]

This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Bookworm

I have been waiting a long time ISLA, although to be fair it's been nowhere near as long as most other people, since I only read ANNA and LOLA for the first time just over a year ago. WELL. Let me tell you, this was well worth the wait!

I read ISLA in one sitting and I was completely and utterly consumed by the maelstrom of teenaged romance and angst. I was so caught up that I found myself practically hyperventilating and a little teary at a certain point, and it's been quite a while since a book got that sort of a reaction out of me. Yeah, there was a little bit of insta-love in the romance, but I can't even criticise that because it was founded in years of crushing on both sides. YEARS. I know I can relate to that from back in my teenaged years!

Check out the rest of my review here!

[Kelly]

3½ Stars
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/09/isla-and-happily-ever-after-by.html
I'm always hesitant when it comes to a series finale, previously I've been left feeling disappointed, frustrated and angry enough to flip a table and storm out. Isla and the Happily Ever After was a somewhat fitting end, engaging, entertaining, emotional but also annoyingly predictable. Unlike Anna and the French Kiss, Isla doesn't explore beyond her room within the American School of Paris and it sadly lacked the same sweeping romance that was introduced in book one. The physical romance is ramped up as the storyline follows both Isla and Josh, two incredibly different teens that surprisingly compliment one another, until it seemingly all falls apart. Although Isla is the model student, she lacks direction and has no idea where her life is heading. While Josh is distracted and acts out against the guidelines of The American School of Paris, and seemingly wants to be removed. But Josh knows where his future is headed and that he wants to share it with Isla.

I loved Josh, although he had his own issues, he persisted with Isla and her insecurities believing that she was worth waiting for. After loving him from afar for so many years, Isla struggles with what she believes is Josh's sudden interest, and where Josh is concerned she has very low self esteem and her insecurities may just be her undoing. I felt that Isla was difficult to relate to at times. The unrequited crush is something most teens experience, the feeling of being lost, insecure and unsure about yourself and the world around you but she seemed to constantly complain, especially once forming a relationship with Josh. Once the initial excitement dulled, her thoughts constantly turned to why he loved her, why he wanted to be with her and it became tedious at best.

It was an entertaining read, but I must admit that I was left a little disappointed as I had been expecting so much more. It certainly lost the magical quality I'd found with both Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, and bordered on just another generic young adult romance. No passionate love and adoration for the series finale, more entertained yet frustrated.

[Amanda]

For me, the shining part of Stephanie Perkins's writing is that she's able to tap into my memories of what it was like to be a teenager with a crush. And so there's angst---and not a small amount of it---but as painful as it is to read sometimes, it's real.

Or, it's real the way you'd imagined it'd be, if it were you.

Oh, this book. Isla has loved Josh forever. And she's never thought he'd be into her... until she is. Isla's crush on (obsession with?) Josh never bothered me much because I've been there, being awkward around crushes.

But even so, part of me wondered when the other shoe would drop because, well, this is book and it's not conflict without a little angst and drama. And it's the type of angst and drama I both dislike and completely understand. Also, the adult in me wondered who Isla was seeing: the Josh she'd romanticized or Josh-Josh. But... but...

THIS BOOK.

'Tis good. We got to see Anna and St. Clair (swoon), and Lola and Cricket. Also good. I'm happy with it. It was worth the wait for the happily ever after.

And yes, I totally went there.

[A Darker Shade of Rosie]

LIKED:
- I literally consumed this book and all its cuteness. Unlike Anna and Lola, Isla got with her love interest at the beginning of the book. Instead of focusing on all the struggles and complications that arise trying to get into a relationship, Isla's story focuses more on the problems and insecurities that happen during the relationship.
- Isla got to travel to multiple cities: Manhattan, New York City, Paris, and even went to Spain! Gave me M A J O R wanderlust (and I'm Miss Never-Been-Out-of-the-USA).
- Josh was a charming artist. And he was drawing an autobiographical comic book! Super cool.

DISLIKED:
- At first, Isla is borderline stalking Josh. Kinda creepy? Then they have their first date and it all calms down into something very, very adorable. So does this really count as a dislike?

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