Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

 To put everything in context, Stephanie Perkins is the John Hughes of YA Fiction.  You wish she was the one writing the story of your life.

Once again, Stephanie Perkins hit a home run with Lola.  She has this way...of making every teenage girl fantasy about finding true love...into a book.  Mind boggling, really.  There wasn't a moment in the book that I hated reading and everything was unicorns and Nutella.  Lola is a wonderful character, her life story is fascinating, her friends are great supporting roles and Cricket...ooooh Cricket.  Cricket. Cricket. Cricket.  The epitome of the "Boy next door". 

The relationships, bonds, hardships, and the boy next door are the perfect combination for the perfect little YA Fomance (romance/fiction) novel.  If you're hesitating to read this because of Anna, never fear, Anna and Etienne make quite a few appearances in the book, and Lola is just as good as Anna.  The comparison between the two novels is inevitable, but both books are great in their own respective ways. Anna is the breathtakingly beautiful story that takes place in Paris and Lola is a more low-key, at home, simpler (but still heartbreaking).  But both books are great, and will probably make a fan girl out of you.

I don't know what else I can say about Lola and The Boy Next Door to make you read it except....Platinum, just like Anna!

Click for my review of Anna and The French Kiss

Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

You don't understand the love I have for Paris. (I love Europe and everything about France).

You don't understand the love I have for boarding school love stories.

You don't understand the love I have for British guys.

You don't understand the love I have for his book.

I could just gush, and become an instant fangirl if I were to discuss this book (which is what I'm about to do right now...).  This book was *sigh* everything a girl could dream of.  The beautiful city, the beautiful boy, everything you need right there.

Although Anna was pissed about being shipped to Paris for school, I couldn't come to resent her for it.  Personally, I would have been doing backflips and screaming for joy - but that's a different story.  If it had been another book I probably would have called her a brat for complaining but all of Anna's reasons were all justified and understandable.  There wasn't a point in the book where I decided  hated Anna for doing something stupid or irrelevant, because I related with everything she did.  For once.

Although I know over 3 guys named Etienne, Etienne St. Clair was the only Etienne I could picture.  He was perfectly imperfect and I loved reading about him!  

In school, I never speak French!  I hate it, and that may be because Canadian French is influenced by Quebec French (no offence but....uhh), but because of this book I saw the beauty in my language and I'm sort of beginning to love it.

Stephanie Perkins novels have instantly moved into my wish list.  I want to read them all now.  She did a great job with this fantastic novel.  

Anna and The French Kiss instantly fueled by yearning for YA romance as well as going to Paris.  Clearly, I have a really sweet spot for books about Paris as well as Ya Romance.  It's definitely a genre of books I'm going to have to investigate a lot more. 

Anna and The French Kiss will be getting the Premium Moody Seal of Approval. It's a gem in the YA romance world.

Visit Stephanie Perkins here.  Maybe even pick yourself up a copy of Anna And The French Kiss...or seven!

P.S (time to gush) I loved loved loved this book it was so urghhhh sooooo gooodddd.  It was like an amazing latte!  Just read!  I have a pit in the middle of...well somewhere in my upper body when I think of Anna and The French Kiss!  I have so much love for this book.