Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.

Warning: Spoilers! (duh.) 

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. 

I want to start off with a quick background. I loved Anna and the French Kiss, how could I not, all the characters were delightful. However, Lola and the Boy next door, was not for me honestly I hated Lola I thought she was nasty and selfish and too much of a caricature. Therefore I was so so about reading Isla. But following this months theme, I was very wrong.

Isla is definitely my favourite ( and not just because my boyfriend is called Josh, although that does help) I felt for her, I couldn't fully emphasise with Anna's situation and I hated Lola so there was no one I fully related or attached too, and now there's Isla. She different and equally shy as she is loud. Not as innocent as people assume and yet still sweet. I thought she was wonderful, tough but not hardened, and she really disliked herself. Which most unfortunate people can understand.

The thing I like about these books is that the cast is very limited, it involves cameos from the other books and obviously there are minor characters but they aren't what you'd say  focusing on subplots too much. The story is about them and it proceeds as such. It makes sense it takes away all the dribble we have to read through to get back to the main plot and it gets rid of it. 

Now, I'm not a big romance fan. I didn't like Twilight, Nicholas Sparks makes me murderous, but this book is just gushy, girly sweetness...and I loved it. It was just too darn cute. Even my hardened outer candy shell melted to the squishy middle reading it.  Sometimes you just want to read something cute and happy that will stay with you afterwards for the happiness, not because it taught you something or it was insightful or tragic, but just because it was a sudden ray of sunshine breaking through storm clouds and when it did, it was nice. 

This book was a lot different to  it's counterparts, the others have a similar structure ending with the couple getting together, this book starts with them together and then goes from there which I really liked. I don't think enough books talk about what happens during the relationship...time apart, jealousy, arguments. It's all just kind of fluffed over with a Happily Ever After (Yeah, I really did that.) 

I don't want to talk specifically about the plot because it's kinds of erratic, lots happens and it's a whirlwind of wonder, romance, hilarity and misery. It was just a delight, get it down your neck!

Happy Reading.