Anna and the French Kiss

My eye was on this book for a long while and last year I was going to Paris. It would’ve been the perfect situation: I'm in Paris with a book about Paris. It was also reality, I opened my suitcase and there it was: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. My parents bought it for my birthday and it was with me in Paris.

Anna’s moving to Paris! Her dad decides to send her 4383 miles away and left her there alone. Starting on the School of America in Paris, Anna finds herself making new friends despite of her not speaking a word of French. One of those friends is Étienne but everyone calls him St. Clair. He’s the boy from the floor above and sadly has a girlfriend. Soon Anna finds herself swooning for his charm in the city of romance. The only remaining question is will she end with a French kiss? 

This book was not what I expected! It was better than I expected. I thought that it was going to be a total romance, swooning over the main characters and wishing you’d find a guy like Étienne. Well the latter is correct but it wasn’t just romance. It were frustrations and funny moments all combined with the romance part. Which I love!

The characters were so good! Anna can’t speak any French which sometimes make it so awkward for her but so funny for us to see how she struggles to get what she wants. Speaking of her funny side, she’s also very funny when she’s frustrated or angry. That makes it more interesting for the reader, because we can laugh a lot during the book. 

Étienne? For Christ’s sake he’s just adorable! Smart and maybe a little mysterious which AGAIN make it such a good book. You can see how he likes being friends with Anna and enjoys helping her out with her lack of French. You see them bonding and I really liked that in the story.

Also since it’s about Paris, we get to see a lot of the city of lights itself. Anna goes exploring and tells about how it all looks like, what it makes her feel like. Those details make you feel like you’re really there with her. I was in Paris and I could see so many similarities which made me want to read more because it made me think about the book. Anna and the French kiss just makes you want to go to Paris. 

If you’re looking for a read during a holiday in France? I recommend this book but also if you’re seeking for an escape of your own boring city. This book will take you away on a voyage full of beautiful culture, romance, funny moments and an unexpected ending.

“I wish for the thing that is best for me.”