Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After

(Anna and the French Kiss #3)

by Stephanie Perkins

August 14, 2014

339 pages

Goodreads  Chapters

Goodreads Summary:

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.

Review

I enjoyed Isla's story so very much!! Stephanie Perkins really knows how to give you the happy feels! I couldn't stop smiling reading this book. Even when I got to the parts where I should've probably felt sad or mad, I was still smiling. Even as I'm writing up this review, I'm still smiling :D Every page held my attention and every moment was wonderful to read about.

Similar to the previous books, this book talked about relationships. Whether it was a romantic relationship or a friendship or even a sibling relationship, every detail felt real. Kurt and Isla's interactions as best friends was heartwarming. Despite having autism, he understood Isla. Maybe even better than she did herself. Then there were Isla's sisters. I have two sisters too so I totally clicked with the way Gen bugged Isla and the way Hattie annoyed her. What Sanjita told Isla sounded so familiar and made so much sense to me. I'm so glad Hattie was there to push Isla forward.

Josh and Isla's relationship was swoon-worthy in so many ways. It developed quickly. It was exciting because it went in a different direction than Anna and Lola's stories did. Isla's had a crush on Josh since forever freshman so becoming his girlfriend was like her obsession dream come true. I thought his love for her was a little out of nowhere but I guess he's had positive feelings towards her for a long time and it kind of exploded as they got to know each other better. Their relationship also had a more mature side. Isla and Josh shared some steamy scenes that I'm pretty sure Anna and Lola didn't have. I know some people can get a little squeamish on something like that but I loved it. I think Stephanie Perkins wrote it beautifully.

I really wish Isla had more confidence. I wish she didn't over think and over analyzes things. Then she might've been able to avoid the outbursts and not hurt Josh the way she did. She thought she was protecting herself, when she broke up with him, but really, she was just hurting them both. She was too afraid to get hurt so she hurt him instead. I wanted to shake her! Josh, the gifted artist who was fiercely passionate about his art, was also very clueless at times. When he knew Isla was at Kismet waiting for him on New Years Eve and he decided not to go, I wanted to shake him too! If you ask me, the conflict in the story wasn't really a huge deal. While I understand it was probably a big issue at their age, I honestly think it could've been solved in one good heart-to-heart conversation. Without this conversation, both our beloved characters suffered the consequences of their actions. I was so relieved when they both realized they made a mistake and worked towards fixing it. Josh was so sweet with redoing his drawings and Isla was so brave to take a risk with going to Dartmouth. They belong together!

I loved how the Olympics threw everyone together. The situation couldn't have been more ideal! The mood and the atmosphere also couldn't have been more perfect. I loved going back to see Paris, where Anna and Etienne's love matured and New York where Lola and Cricket's cuteness blossomed. Exploring Barcelona with Josh and Isla was a total treat! This series couldn't have ended in any other way. Like Anna, Lola and Isla, everyone deserves a happily ever after of their own :)