Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Series: Anna and the French Kiss Companion Series (Book 3)

Format: Hardcover

Pages:  339 
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased

                This book had a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding the release. And I think it suffered for it. I mean, the book was fun and I breezed through it, but Anna is still my favorite.

                When I first started I wasn’t sure if I liked Isla. Well, I guess I like her, but she’s kind of annoying. Really my opinion of her swayed based on how she treated Kurt, her best friend.

                Also, Isla let her life be consumed by Josh. Generally, this is an issue I have with unrequited love stories. I think Ms. Perkins was trying to walk a line with Isla’s interactions with Josh, but she moved a little bit into Bella territory for me.

                I did enjoy seeing more Josh. He always interested me in the first book and I wanted to know more about him and his life. Obviously this is told from Isla’s POV, but Josh’s art and graphic novels give a look into his head.

                Honestly, I found Josh and Isla’s romance a little dysfunctional. But, unlike some other books, there are glimmers of hope. There are some interactions and character growth that make me believe that with some hard work will lead to a strong, healthy relationship.

                Oh, and then there’s the way Isla describes things. I don’t know how to explain it, but she does it in a unique way. And the best part? Is isn’t all the time. She does it just enough times to be beautiful and not annoying like some books.

                The pizza parlor scene was great. Of course I loved catching up with old characters-especially Anna and St. Clair. This actually makes me want to re-read Anna and the French Kiss. Just thinking about that book gives me butterflies.

Thanks for reading!
~Holly