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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Sweet! Could have been five, should have been five, but Isla's character felt thin. There was nothing specific or special about her until Josh. That was disappointing. Josh is lovely. The drama is better than in Lola. Still doesn't best Anna.
There's a line in the book about holding hands with sweaty palms and how it's heaven. Such are the books of this trilogy. I devoured this book and rode the emotional roller coaster of first love. Enjoyed every minute.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.
Probably because I loved the other two books as much as I did. However, I am not that 16-year old girl anymore. I think I would have liked it a lot more if I read this book back then.
Probably because I loved the other two books as much as I did. However, I am not that 16-year old girl anymore. I think I would have liked it a lot more if I read this book back then.
The Curse of the last book in a trilogy is also true for this one.
Too often the last book is disappointing or simply bad, Isla and the Happily Ever After is not bad, but it doesn't compare to the Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door at all.
While I could relate to Anna and loved Lola's quirkyness, Isla felt... well, she describes herself as blank canvas and dull and I have to agree. Not to mention the many times I just wanted to shake her for being unfair to Josh.
I did enjoy the end, although I think it was mostly due to all of Josh's friends being there. The talk with Sanjita was nice and I would've loved to see more of Kurt and Hattie because Isla as a character was tedious to spend time with.
Too often the last book is disappointing or simply bad, Isla and the Happily Ever After is not bad, but it doesn't compare to the Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door at all.
While I could relate to Anna and loved Lola's quirkyness, Isla felt... well, she describes herself as blank canvas and dull and I have to agree. Not to mention the many times I just wanted to shake her for being unfair to Josh.
I did enjoy the end, although I think it was mostly due to all of Josh's friends being there. The talk with Sanjita was nice and I would've loved to see more of Kurt and Hattie because Isla as a character was tedious to spend time with.
I found this book somewhat disappointing for a couple of reasons
For one thing, Isla was a very selfish main character. She seemed to care about little other than being with Josh. She couldn't see how her sister was struggling, how Kurt was struggling, or even how Josh was struggling. She seemed to be in love with the idea of Josh she conjured up in her mind, not the him. She wants him to be this perfect living boyfriend, which brings me to my next point
We never really got a chance to see the real Josh, the one that wasn't just in love with Isla. Although I don't feel that the relationship between Josh and Isla was insta love, the characters were not very developed outside of the relationship. We never see Josh unless he is fawning over Isla. We end up not getting a great feel for Josh outside of being with Isla
Next, Isla and Josh seem to live in a bubble. They rarely interact with anyone other than Kurt, and the only problems they have are the ones they create. We don't have any fun quirky friends like Anna and St Clair in Lola and the Boy Next Door, or all of the gang in Anna and the French Kiss. Kurt does provide a few laughs, but he's kind of pushed aside in the end.
Finally, my biggest problem was probably how Isla could not get over her jealousy. Josh time and time again had to convince her he loved her, not Rashami, and in doing so diminished his relationship with her to almost nothing. Isla had to believe that Josh never even really loved Rashami, and even made him change his book so he seemed to love her less. In relationships sometimes you have to accept that the other person has been in love before, but they still love you, and Isla could never realize that.
I did not hate this book, in fact at some points I was just grinning at the book in happiness, or laughing out loud. Like when they went on their first date, or everyone came back to visit, or in the end where Isla realizes he loves her. It just did not live up to the greatness of Anna and the French Kiss, or Lola and the Boy Next Door.
For one thing, Isla was a very selfish main character. She seemed to care about little other than being with Josh. She couldn't see how her sister was struggling, how Kurt was struggling, or even how Josh was struggling. She seemed to be in love with the idea of Josh she conjured up in her mind, not the him. She wants him to be this perfect living boyfriend, which brings me to my next point
We never really got a chance to see the real Josh, the one that wasn't just in love with Isla. Although I don't feel that the relationship between Josh and Isla was insta love, the characters were not very developed outside of the relationship. We never see Josh unless he is fawning over Isla. We end up not getting a great feel for Josh outside of being with Isla
Next, Isla and Josh seem to live in a bubble. They rarely interact with anyone other than Kurt, and the only problems they have are the ones they create. We don't have any fun quirky friends like Anna and St Clair in Lola and the Boy Next Door, or all of the gang in Anna and the French Kiss. Kurt does provide a few laughs, but he's kind of pushed aside in the end.
Finally, my biggest problem was probably how Isla could not get over her jealousy. Josh time and time again had to convince her he loved her, not Rashami, and in doing so diminished his relationship with her to almost nothing. Isla had to believe that Josh never even really loved Rashami, and even made him change his book so he seemed to love her less. In relationships sometimes you have to accept that the other person has been in love before, but they still love you, and Isla could never realize that.
I did not hate this book, in fact at some points I was just grinning at the book in happiness, or laughing out loud. Like when they went on their first date, or everyone came back to visit, or in the end where Isla realizes he loves her. It just did not live up to the greatness of Anna and the French Kiss, or Lola and the Boy Next Door.
This book is so beautiful I can't even handle it. I basically read it all in one sitting (with the exception of eating dinner). I could not put it down for the life of me and ended up being up till 4:30 AM finishing it. The books is very well-written, especially the details of the cityscapes that Isla and Josh inhabit. One of my favorite lines of description was when they look down at Paris, "The serpentine river and crumbling cathedrals and sprawling palaces an everything, yes, everything is visible from here." Perkins creates these over the time, cinematic moments- first kisses with fireworks, late night escapes in museums, and a swoon-worthy trip to Spain. This contrasts with very realistic teenagery language and delightfully awkward moments that keep the story grounded in the real world. I completely adored the way it was written, which I think is one of the novel's strongest points.
I also really loved Isla's character. She reminded me a lot of myself- sweet, a little shy, bright, and loyal. At times Isla would be over dramatic in how she saw the world and their romance, which actually also reminded me a lot of myself. In all, Isla's character felt very real and unique to me. I feel like she isn't the traditional YA heroine, which I think is why she really jumped out to me. Josh seemed wonderfully complex- full of plans for the future, but can't take school seriously, yet is the son of Senator. I enjoyed discovering him different facets alongside Isla.
My only critique might be that the novel takes place over a relatively short amount of time for drama and romance that it seems to carry. It makes me doubt the longevity of Isla and Josh's relationship. I had the same feeling about Anna and St. Clair (from Anna and the French Kiss) and they seemed to turn out just fine (btw they are in this book too and will make you squeal with happiness).
I definitely recommend this book, especially if you love Europe and romance. It is adorable, but also witty, beautifully written, and smart.
I also really loved Isla's character. She reminded me a lot of myself- sweet, a little shy, bright, and loyal. At times Isla would be over dramatic in how she saw the world and their romance, which actually also reminded me a lot of myself. In all, Isla's character felt very real and unique to me. I feel like she isn't the traditional YA heroine, which I think is why she really jumped out to me. Josh seemed wonderfully complex- full of plans for the future, but can't take school seriously, yet is the son of Senator. I enjoyed discovering him different facets alongside Isla.
My only critique might be that the novel takes place over a relatively short amount of time for drama and romance that it seems to carry. It makes me doubt the longevity of Isla and Josh's relationship. I had the same feeling about Anna and St. Clair (from Anna and the French Kiss) and they seemed to turn out just fine (btw they are in this book too and will make you squeal with happiness).
I definitely recommend this book, especially if you love Europe and romance. It is adorable, but also witty, beautifully written, and smart.
I liked this one the best of the series. There was so much teenage insecurity in it, oof.
Reseña completa: http://laestanteriademonica.blogspot.com.es/2016/08/felices-por-siempre-jamas.html
Felices por siempre jamás o isla and the happily ever after, en esta novela la autora nos presenta a dos protagonistas que ya aparecieron y fueron mencionados en el primer libro de la trilogía Un beso en París.
Isla Martin, narradora y protagonista de la historia, mitad americana y mitad francesa, vive originariamente en Nueva York con sus padres y sus dos hermanas, pero durante el año estudia en París en el SOAP (school of America de París), es una chica con una personalidad muy dulce, estudiosa, pero que cuando tiene que sacar las garras las saca (aunque no pase a menudo), su mejor amigo se llama Kurt se trata de un chico autista y lleban siendo amigos toda la vida, por lo tanto lo considera casi su hermano (muy importante en la historia), Isla desde que llegó al internado de París está completamente enamorada de un chico que lleva el arte en las venas, se trata de Josh Wasserstein (miembro del grupo de amigos de Anna y Étienne, y mejor amigo de este último).
Es un libro muy fresco, rapido de leer y que la historia de los protagionistas engancha con facilidad.
Felices por siempre jamás o isla and the happily ever after, en esta novela la autora nos presenta a dos protagonistas que ya aparecieron y fueron mencionados en el primer libro de la trilogía Un beso en París.
Isla Martin, narradora y protagonista de la historia, mitad americana y mitad francesa, vive originariamente en Nueva York con sus padres y sus dos hermanas, pero durante el año estudia en París en el SOAP (school of America de París), es una chica con una personalidad muy dulce, estudiosa, pero que cuando tiene que sacar las garras las saca (aunque no pase a menudo), su mejor amigo se llama Kurt se trata de un chico autista y lleban siendo amigos toda la vida, por lo tanto lo considera casi su hermano (muy importante en la historia), Isla desde que llegó al internado de París está completamente enamorada de un chico que lleva el arte en las venas, se trata de Josh Wasserstein (miembro del grupo de amigos de Anna y Étienne, y mejor amigo de este último).
Es un libro muy fresco, rapido de leer y que la historia de los protagionistas engancha con facilidad.