Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Publishers: Dutton Books

Release Date: 14 August 2014

Page Count: 384

Goodreads synopsis: 

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.

Isla and the Happily Ever after is the third and final novel in the Anna and The French Kiss set of companion novels and words cannot describe how AMAZING this book is! This has to be my second favourite of the series (Anna being my favourite) I gave it 5/5 stars and stay tuned to see why!

Warning this review is FULL of spoilers.

So the thing that I found refreshing about this book is that unlike most contemporary books (Including Anna and the French kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door) Isla and Josh get together at the very start of the book and where as in Lola and the Boy Next Door the first time Lola and Cricket kiss is on page 362 (yes I noted that down) which was so close to the end. Isla and Josh kiss at around 100 pages into the book and where as most books have the 'longing phase' (where we are waiting for the two to get together/ when they are apart) at the start before they get together, the 'longing phase' in Isla and the Happily ever after, this happens later in the book when Josh gets expelled and I really liked that but it was kind of annoying as well because you learn to love their relationship and then it goes downhill whereas other are already downhill and just get better!

In the first scene when Isla sees Josh in Kismet, that was the best scene in the ENTIRE book! I loved how Josh liked seeing Isla but he felt awkward around her! And how he drew her and how he paid for her meal! I loved how Isla was acting crazy in that scene because thats what really bought them together.

We get to learn how lonely Josh really is and also we learn about his parents and that made me understand things better from Anna and the French kiss.

I wish Anna and Étienne were included more in this book, more than the last few chapters. I didn't mind Lola and Cricket now being in it as much (no offence Lola and Cricket) But I wish there was more of Anna and Étienne.

Speaking of Anna and Étienne...OMG. WHEN HE PROPOSES TO HER...OFHIFGIG.

When Étienne proposes to Anna on Point Zero I almost cried for two reasons:

1) I LOVE Étienne so so so much.

2) that was just the cutest thing ever.

Anyway, back to Isla and Josh.

Throughout the entire book I could just tell that she was going to start forgetting about Kurt. I am glad that she started to pay more attention to him and Hattie towards the end of the book especially after they'd been caught going to Barcelona.

Stephanie Perkins put so much thought into this book and you could tell because the way she described New York, Paris and Barcelona were very accurate. She'd either been there or done a lot of research about it.

When Stephanie Perkins writes, she has this way that she makes all of her characters so relatable by using informal language and phrases that you would use when shes thinking and that one of the best parts of the books.

What I noticed about these books whilst reading Isla is that Stephanie Perkins makes relationships struggle after the book ends. For example, Anna has the problem that Étienne and her go to different universities/colleges, Cricket is in university but Lola is not and finally Isla has 1/3 of her possibly university choices that could mean her still being with Josh. This pains me because I want to imagine all of the couples being inseparable after the books end.

Overall Isla and the Happily ever after was an amazing book and a brilliant end to the series! I really really hope Stephanie Perkins writes more in the future, 5,000,000,000/5 stars.

Lily.

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