Published: December 2nd, 2010 By: Speak
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #1
Genres: Young-Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
My Rating: 2 Stars
Anna is less than thrilled to be shipped off to boarding school in Paris, leaving a fledgling romance behind – until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all…including a girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with a longed-for French kiss?
Review
What I Liked
-I love the setting. Paris is on my list of places I want to visit.
-The historical places visited.
-Anna. Bless her little naive heart.
That’s it. Everything else in this book pissed me off. I don’t think I’ve ever read something so cliche in the YA genre. And, I know that thousands of people adore this book, so I’m just gonna say this. These are my opinions. DO NOT get on here and say that I’m wrong because I didn’t like this book. Not everyone likes the same things. I’m entitled to this opinion because I suffered through hours of reading. I am about to rant!
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
Anna is an American teen, heading off to the School of America in Paris. Enter St. Clair. Instant attraction. St. Clair has a girlfriend, Ellie. Mer, who is Anna’s next door neighbor and classmate, is friends with St. Clair. Mer also has a mad crush on him. She and Anna are supposed to be friends. Anna knows that Mer likes St. Clair. St. Clair knows that Mer likes him. Instead of being a good friend to her, he doesn’t tell her he’s not interested. St. Clair and Anna start spending time together. Aww, they’re in love. St. Clair is still in a relationship with Ellie. His mother gets cancer. He doesn’t want to be alone, so he is publicly in a relationship with Ellie, on the down low with Anna, and doesn’t try to discourage Mer from falling deeper in love/like with him. Remember, he doesn’t want to be alone. Meanwhile, back in Atlanta, Toph is maybe gonna hook up with Anna when she comes home for the holidays. Anna’s best friend Bridge joins Toph’s band. Bridge knows Anna likes Toph, but it doesn’t matter if she’s not in America to stake her claim, so she starts dating him. Anna comes home to find Toph and Bridge are dating. She feels betrayed. Remember, Anna likes St. Clair also. And he has a girlfriend. Anna is tired of being strung along, so she starts a sort of thing with St. Clair’s nemesis, David. Soon, that little relationship fizzles, and David tells the whole school that Anna is a slut. But….not before she and St. Clair have their first kiss and Mer sees them. Now, Mer feels betrayed by Anna, even though St. Clair is STILL dating Ellie. Amanda, the mean girl, taunts Anna and they get into a cat fight. Meanwhile, Anna feels so alone. No one will talk to her now. Rashmi and Josh are the other two friends in this group of idiots. Everything is so out of wack. St. Clair breaks it off with Ellie and he also mans up and tells Mer that he doesn’t like her the way she likes him. He does all this after he and Anna kiss. Why not before all hell broke loose?!! Anna and St. Clair live HEA.
END OF SPOILER….
Long story short, Anna wanted too much. If she was gonna try a relationship with Toph, why spend so much time with St. Clair? You can’t have a guy in each country to come home to. Don’t get mad with your BFF when she dates the guy, when she knows you’re over in Paris falling in love with St. Clair. St. Clair is an idiot. I don’t care what his problems were, he didn’t have to lead those young ladies on because he’s afraid to be alone. Boo hoo! I just can’t understand how this makes everyone swoon. I just don’t get it. Someone please tell me why this story is so great for you. I just want to understand. These kids are too young to be playing The Young and the Restless. I don’t even think I want to read Isla’s story, or the other one either. I can’t do this again.
[…] summer. Another teen in Paris. I was really hoping to love this book. After not liking Anna and the French Kiss, I thought I’d give this one a shot. I didn’t have a great experience with […]
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Lol, I actually liked this one, in the beginning I didn’t, because Anna seemed a little too much, but then I fell in love with it, and I wasn’t even that bothered by the hypocrisy, or the cheating, mainly because you don’t get to know the girlfriend etc.
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It’s nice to read a review from someone who didn’t really care for this book. I have this one on my TBR pile but I’ve been rather up in the air about reading it.
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Absolutely dying at ” These kids are too young to be playing The Young and the Restless.” LOVE that hahhaha. I haven’t read this. And all those reasons you have stated is why. I know everyone loves this- but it sounds so…. UGH. That’s the only word I have- UGH. Because this guy sounds like such an asshat, and yet everyone loooooves him? Pass. And instalove, and just yuck. That said- I still almost want to read it. But at this point, it’s almost just so I can have an opinion on it, you know? People seem to either love it or hate it- I don’t see very many people in the middle. So I want to know where I fall 😉 BUT I don’t want to waste precious reading time either, so it will continue to go unread for now. Great review, and sorry it was such a mess for you!
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OH NO! I loved this book. It really is one of those books that people either love or hate and I was cringing when I read your score. You’re completely fair – St Clair shouldn’t have led all those girls on and it was selfish and there was just so much drama. But I picked this one up as a comfort read it didn’t disappoint and if things went the way of real life, I am sure a lot of the time there is the whole leading people on because of a deep rooted thing going on. Oh, and I just loved Paris in it ❤
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I haven’t read this book and maybe I will or maybe not lol. It’s always nice to read review of people who don’t like books others has love. Thanks
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Wow, way to much drama for me..LOL I got anxious and mad just reading your review!!!!!
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This is one of those books that have been on my TBR forever but I haven’t actually taken the time to read it. I think that the characters might drive me a little crazy in this one. Too bad it didn’t work out for you. Great review!
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Sounds like a lot of manipulating going on, and I dislike that kind of relationship drama. Sorry you were disappointed, but I think I would have had the same issues with it. Too bad, since I love the Paris setting too!
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It’s been a long time since I read this book but I know I loved it when I read it. Sorry it didn’t work for you. 😦
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I already cried once, but I want to cry here too. I adored this book but I can definitely see your complaints. You may enjoy Lola more though? Isla might annoy you though!
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LOL I love this review
Although I liked this one a lot when I read it, I can totally get your criticism and see how Anna would annoy you! The Paris setting is still great!
♥
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Ahh this is one of my favorites but I can see how it wouldn’t be for everyone. Sorry this didn’t work for you.
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People are so gaga for these books that it has made me avoid them and maybe I’ll keep doing that after this review. Everything you pointed out would annoy me.
Kate @ Ex Libris
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I didn’t like this book as much as Lola, the second companion book, but I can totally see where you’re coming from with this review. You make valid points and have a right to express your opinion. It would be boring if we all liked the same thing!
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Sorry you didn’t care for this one! I haven’t read it yet so I skipped the spoiler. It looks really cute and I want to give it a try sometime. I hope your next read is much, much better!
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This sounds too cheesy or corny for me. I love the cover arts though!
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I loved this book! Sure Anna tended to be a bit much but I was able to look passed it. I just adored it so, I’m sorry you didn’t like this one. Ah well on to the next, right?
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I liked this one when I first read it but I reckon now I would really really hate it. Especially because of all the relationship nonsense. I did really love the setting though and thought it was very well-done.
Sorry this was disappointing for you, Lekeisha!
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So she’s like a sailor with a guy in every port? Haha! Sorry. I read a companion story with her friend Lola years ago. It had some cuteness, but had some of the same teen drama issues with the relationships. I’m with you about not stringing folks along and committing to one relationship at a time so I’d probably react to the same.
This was a popular book, but after reading the other book, I wasn’t gungho to grab this one.
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I absolutely hated this book as well, and it seems like we have those similar thoughts in common, especially when it comes to Anna totally playing with the guy! And Etienne, I couldn’t stand his cheating ways. Thanks for the honest review!
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oh wow! Insta-love, cheating and lots of drama? I wanted to read this Lekeisha, now I’m really not so sure anymore.
You should really try to make your visit to Paris come true! It’s a beautiful city with so much to do 🙂
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Sounds awful! Sorry you didn’t love this one 😦
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I think i should read this book:-)
I read another review of the book from another blogger yesterday who absolutely loved the book haha
After reading your review, I am more intrigued than ever. Definitely getting it now.
Thanks for the review.
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