On My Bookshelf: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

The basic plot from Amazon: 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.

Why I liked it:  Isla and the Happily Ever After is not quite a sequel, but there is some overlap in characters with Anna and the French Kiss. The novel is set a year later a the same school.


Isla, a petite redhead with a French mother and American father, is from New York City and is at the top of her senior class. Her older sister graduated last year and her younger sister is now a freshman. Isla is loyal to her best friend Kurt, who is autistic, but extremely high functioning. The two have known each other since they were very young and Isla has lost a friend and a boyfriend because she refused to choose them over Kurt.

Josh is brooding and artistic. He is a rule breaker who skips class and leaves the country on weekends, things Isla would never dream of doing until falling for Josh. After Josh is kicked out of school for breaking the rules one too many times, distance stains their relationship and Isla begins to doubt how Josh feels about her because of her own insecurities.

Classroom application: I would recommend this for a high school classroom library. It has some sexy scenes in it, more so than Anna and the French Kiss.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Isla and the Happily Ever After for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

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