Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins

This is the second instalment in the series, following on from Anna and the French Kiss. You can read my review of that here.

Lola lives in San Francisco and designs her own clothes. She and her boyfriend, Max - the rocker - have only been going out for a while. But one day, Calliope and Cricket Bell - the twins who used to live next door - move back home.

Calliope has never liked Lola, but Cricket was the one that got away - but now he's back. Lola must decide who she wants to be with, the rocker or the inventor? Personally, I don't like when two boys are put against each other like that, like ooh who will she pick? But in this book, you see what happened in her past, and that really influences her present and future, so I didn't slate the book for it. :) 

I really enjoyed this book, just as much as I enjoyed the first one. I especially loved how Stephanie placed Anna and Étienne into certain parts of the story, so the readers are reassured they're still together, and we see how they're doing since their own story 'ended'. It's one of my favourite things about the series, that each character's paths cross at one point or another, it makes them feel more real.

I love stories like this, and the series is definitely one of my favourites. I'll be posting my review of Isla very soon!

Verdict: 5/5

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

This is the first instalment of one of my favourite series, but I only read it last year. I regret not reading it sooner. I think the 'and the french kiss' put me off, because I just thought 'ew, long, detailed kissing scenes' but it wasn't like that at all, so I really regretted making such a ridiculous assumption.

The first book follows Anna Oliphant, who lives in Atlanta, until her father thinks she would be better off at boarding school. It's her senior year, she has a best friend, Bridgette, and crush, Toph, she would be leaving behind, but she's sent to The School of America...in Paris.

When she gets to SOAP (I love this acronym, it always made me laugh in the book!), she makes friends far quicker than she expected she would. She first meets the girl in the room next door to hers, Meredith. She introduces her to Rashmi, and her boyfriend Josh, who is a Junior. And then...Étienne St. Clair, who everyone calls by his last name. Immediately Anna falls in love with St. Clair, even though she knows he has a girlfriend.

Despite St. Clair having a girlfriend, I really wanted him to be with Anna, right from the start. I shipped them! All of the characters were so much fun, and I loved how even in Paris, they all formed an American high school-esque clique.

I also enjoyed the rest of the series, and I'll be putting up reviews of them soon.

Verdict: 5/5 :D