Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #3
Publisher: Usborne
Publication Date: August 14th 2014
Source: Bought

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

Isla and the Happily Ever After was one of my most anticipated releases of this year. I absolutely adore Stephanie Perkins books and I couldn't wait to get my hands on Isla!

Honestly, I think Isla is probably my favourite of the series. It follows Isla and Josh (who were both in Anna) during their senior year in France. Isla has been in love with Josh for years, and is convinced he doesn't know who she is. They meet while Isla is high on painkillers in Manhatten, and their relationship grows from there. 

Isla is just so adorable. She's awkward, insecure and extremely relatable. I've felt exactly how Isla felt in this book and that made her so real to me. The fact that I could relate to her just made her even more awesome. Even though there were times when I wanted to knock some sense into her, I still loved her.

I've been dying to get to know Josh more since we met him in Anna. Josh is a complex character. He's an introvert and keeps to himself. But he starts to come out of his shell when he starts hanging around with Isla. He's funny, sweet and I loved seeing him come out of his shell. 

Isla and Josh were such an adorable and awkward couple. Stephanie captured the beginning of a new romance/relationship perfectly and they made my heart hurt with their adorableness. I just wanted to cuddle them both. 

But they both had their problems. Isla's insecurities played a major part in their problems. She's unsure of herself and her future, and she feels like she not good enough for Josh. She's constantly comparing herself to his ex and it causes all sorts of problems. Even though Josh starts to come out of his shell, he's still an introvert and likes his time alone. So he tends to lock himself away and shut everything out. He's also got a habit of not allowing himself to be happy.

The ending of the book made me sob happy tears. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I cried at the end of Anna and Lola, so it was probably a given that the end of Isla would make me sob. It made my heart explode with joy and I finished reading Isla with a huge grin on my face.

Other than Isla & Josh, I loved that we got to revisit Anna, Etienne, Lola and Cricket. Honestly, I was waiting for the moment when they would all appear and it was perfect! Also, there was a moment with Anna & Etienne that had me squealing with joy! So perfect.

Overall, Isla and the Happily Ever After was a fantastic end to an amazing series. I've loved every single second of it and it's going to be one I'll re-read over and over again because it makes me so happy. I honestly can't recommend this series enough, it's amazing.