BOOK REVIEW: ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER, STEPHANIE PERKINS

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss, #3)
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Edition: Hardbound
Published: August 14, 2014
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 352
Genre: Romance, Contemporary

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, Etienne, 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' beloved series.

Out of all the books in this trilogy, I can say that this is the most heartwarming and astounding book. From the shy beginning of Isla warming up to Josh, and Josh returning the favor, this got me swooning all over the place. I love the simple yet lovely flow of the story, with all the ups and downs, beginning to end. I also love how Stephanie put in all the characters from the previous books to give us readers a taste of nostalgia like: "Oh my God, I remember him/her!"

And the relationship between Isla and Josh was almost realistic cause it reflects the relationship of a true couple in the real world. From the sheepish conversations and sexual amusement. Also, the connection of all the characters (namely Anna and Etienne, Lola and Cricket) made me want another book where they're all the protagonists or something like that.

This book made me teary-eyed too and broke my heart. It broke my heart into tiny little pieces that you could not glue together again. It made me realize that no one is perfect, and no love could last forever without arguments. It also made me realize that with a little pinch of love and forgiveness, even the dirtiest words could go down the drain.

Isla and the Happily Ever After is a book where it will feed your heart up with content just to break it into a million pieces and one by one put it back together. It will make you love and hate the characters for doing what they do, and the realism of Isla and Josh's relationship would make you want more. Definitely a great and spectacular closure to this trilogy and I hope Stephanie Perkins' would continue to fill up the world with love.

"A blank canvas... has unlimited possibilities."

"I've always thought the best relationships are those that are as happy and content in silence as they are in action."

"I am hard on myself. But isn't it better to be honest about these things before someone else can use them against you? Before someone else can break your heart? Isn't it better to break it yourself?"