Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss {Feb Check-In} #ReadingWithMuffy

I’m a sucker for romance and it doesn’t take so much to win my heart. From Gone With the Wind to Love Story to Indian author books like The Poison of Love, romance novels are my go-to when I’m blue.

But the best part of these books is strong characters and an even better story. Anna and the French Kiss, on the other hand, didn’t have anything much going for it.

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Anna is sent to a boarding school in Paris against her will, for her senior year. She is devastated leaving behind her younger brother, mom, best friend and a potential boyfriend in Atlanta. Paris is new to her and the cultural difference and language weigh her down. However, she is quick to make new friends including the dashing St.Clair who is though a forbidden fruit. He has a girlfriend and Anna still thinks of the guy back home in Atlanta.

….and that’s pretty much it! The book promised a sweet, fun read given the plot. This also is one of the most talked-about YA books and I never heard a bad thing about it.

But that was not the case. I believe the book is over-hyped. To start with, Anna is beyond flawed. Trust me, I am okay with flawed heroines but Anna was hopeless. There were times (read throughout the book) when I wanted to shake her and scream so bad, Come on, Anna. Wake up!

Anna doesn’t speak French apart from ‘oui‘. She lives on fruit and bread for a whole week because she doesn’t want to ask the chef in English. For Heaven’s sake, she is studying at SOAP (School of America in Paris), a school full of Americans who can’t speak French. So, the chef was going to understand English well. Dumb much?

St.Clair had to be the life-saver here. But after the initial few pages, he turned out even worse. Leading Anna on even when he has a girlfriend and when he believes he is not into cheating was lame. He rubbed me the wrong way, to say the least.

The best part about the book was Paris. I loved learning about the food, culture, and language of France. I enjoyed Stephanie Perkins’ writing as well except that the plot dragged on forever and ever.

All in all, the fluffy characters didn’t sit well with me and the book is simply not memorable. I’m of the opinion that if I like a book, I should be able to remember it, at least for some time.

So, though Paris called for a swoony romance, this book gets a Nay from me.
2.5 Paws on 5!

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Love is in the Air
Book with the word ‘Love’, ‘Kiss’, or ‘Hug’ in the title

This is a monthly check-in post for Reading With Muffy Monthly Reading Challenge.

Here’s what you should do!

1. Follow @muffytales on Instagram 
2. Read at least one book on the given prompt of the month.
3. Write a short/long review on your blog or Instagram with the hashtag #ReadingWithMuffy. If you aren’t comfortable writing reviews, write what you liked/disliked about the book.
4. Link up your review post below on the Check-in linky. Please note that one review = one link. This is if you’ve read more than one book on the prompt. You may also add the review post from the additional prompts as well.
5. The linky will be opened till Mar 10th.
6. It’d be amazing if you could comment on this post and give a shoutout on your social media using the hashtag #ReadingWithMuffy. Feel free to tag us on Instagram.

I can’t wait to see what you’ve read this month. Hop in with your reviews.

But for now, here’s our winner from January!

Congratulations Daveen!

We loved your video reviews and are in awe of your reading speed. Six entries already!

That’s all for now, folks! Thank you for joining in!

Please drop a comment on this post in case of any queries. We really look forward to your participation and also know of your book lists and choices.

Happy Reading!