Title/ Author: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie PerkinsHow I Read It: Hardback
Why I Read It: Stephanie Perkins. Obviously.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
This is the third and final companion novel of Anna, Lola, and here we have Isla. This was a great ending to this world and Stephanie Perkins is fab.
Summary from Goodreads: Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?
Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.
Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.All I can say is that Stephanie Perkins does it again, and again and again. First, Étienne St. Clair & the beauty of Paris stole my heart, then the boy next door, and then the artist who finally saw what he had been missing all along. The characters in these books set my expectations of men very high, though who knows, maybe one day I'll find my Étienne, Cricket, or Josh.
Back to the book, Isla and Josh seem so perfect for each other. Isla was in love with Josh since she could remember. She had always been in love with Josh. Reading about her character in Anna gave me a different impression of Isla. It made it seem like she was incredibly shy. She still is shy, but she's affectionate and has a lot of heart. Above all, like every girl out there, she wants to be loved. Josh broke out of his shell in this book too. I saw a different, more vulnerable side to him. He is an artist. He is smart. And he loves Isla. Comparing his relationship to Rashmi compared to Isla, he fit more perfectly with Isla. They understood each other and depended on each other.
There was so much cuteness and angst in this story that had my heart flipping miles a minute. The fact that Josh kept drawing Isla even after their chance encounter in Manhattan. The fact that Josh did his best to include Kurt instead of brushing him aside. The little things Josh did for Isla and things she did for him. Josh's life story in a book was a nice part to the book, digging in a little bit deeper into his character. The whole book was magical. The characters were entertaining and had unique purposes. Like all of Perkins's works, truly beautiful.
Overall, I think it was a beautiful ending to the Anna, Lola, Isla saga. Stephanie Perkins took me on an amazing journey & I'm so thankful I had the pleasure of experiencing it. Isla wasn't as good as the other 2 in my opinion, meaning it's not like 5 stars or a part of my favorites list, but throughout the entire story, I couldn't stop reading & I deeply missed Steph's writing. So happy I read this. And I'm even happier that the entire time, Etienne St. Clair has been taller than me.
And the final ending. PERFECTION.
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