Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins
Publication Date: 2 December 2010
Publisher: Penguin Group
Format: Paperback, borrowed
Rating: 5/5

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited? |Goodreads|

It's been a while since I've read a YA contemporary book. With all the amazing paranormal and fantasy books being released every month, it's easy to overlook these precious gems sitting on the shelves in stores. Well...I'm glad I didn't pass this one up. 

I love contemporary YA and this book reminded me how long it's been since I'd read a really good one. The story follows a seventeen year old girl called Anna, whose father  sends her to an American boarding school in Paris against her wishes. At first Anna is very apprehensive of her new surroundings but all it takes is a good group of friends and an attractive and charming, yet totally 'off the market' guy to make her feel at home. 

I fell in love with Anna and the French Kiss for several reasons. The setting is so perfect. Does it get any more romantic than Paris? I think not. It was one of the first things that I adore about this story. The walks along the river Seine, the cafes and little patisseries they visit, all of it made me want to board a plane to Paris every time I picked up this book. 

I loved each and every character in this book. They all had there own unique qualities that either made me laugh out loud or burst out crying or just totally irritated me. Of course there is also the romance between Anna and Etienne St Claire which is perfectly written. It isn't one of these fast track loves that leaves you thinking, "this would never happen in real life'. It is one of the most real, honest and beautiful romances out there in the Young Adult genre and anyone who reads this story will relate to the characters. 

The story is paced very well and I never once found myself wanting it to move faster or slower. 

Overall Anna and the French Kiss is a stunning debut novel that takes the reader on the character's journey of self discovery, love and acceptance. Well written and beautifully crafted, this book makes it into my top five I've read this year. I can't wait to read the companion, Lola and the Boy Next Door!

In My Mailbox #7

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. Here is what I got this week:

For Review:Angel Fire (Angel #2) by L.A Weatherly
Bought:Finally I got myself a copy of Eve by Anna Carey
What did you get in your mailbox?

Follow Friday & TGIF

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don't like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!
My pet peeves would have to include: 

• thin, under developed characters. It irritates me when a character is placed as in a certain role in a story and then they aren't fully explored or developed. It always makes me think of what could have been.
• love stories that happen over night. Come on, you can't fall head over heels in love with someone in two days and have it be real and meaningful.
• whenever I pick up a book and the story line begins like this: Girl moves to new town, girl starts new school, girls spots mysterious yet alluring boy from across the hallway, boy avoids girl for a week, next thing you know, girl & boy are completely & hopelessly in love with each other and are ready to stake their lives upon their relationship. This story line has been explored and done before countless times, and yes it has worked over the years, but now it's just plain boring. Any book that starts out like this you can skip to about halfway through and then you'll get to the interesting part of the story. Books like this, I avoid like the plague.

What are some of your pet peeves?

TGIF is hosted by Greadsbooks.com

Writing Reviews 101: What's your process for writing book reviews? 

My process of reviewing begins as soon as I pick up a book I know I'm going to be reviewing for the blog. I pride myself on taking time to read my books. I find that it helps in getting to know the characters really well and, it gives me a chance to really visualize the story and what's happening in each scenario. It's very rare for me to finish a book in two days. Once I've read the book I normally like to gather my thoughts and opinions on it, so I won't rush to my computer to write up a review. 

When writing I like to be as meticulous as I can with my grammar and spelling (although some mistakes can slip through. I'm only human). I can't have music or too much noise around me, so I make sure everything is quiet. I also like to check out Goodreads to see what other people had to say about the book. Maybe there is a thought shared that I hadn't considered or a different opinion on something that happened. I like to try and keep my reviews completely spoiler free but sometimes you can't share a thought without divulging a certain scene or plot line. I always keep my review honest and if I don't like something then I going to say I don't like it. 

Once I have finished my review I always double and sometimes triple check it. When I happy with everything, I post it. 

What is your method for reviewing books? Share your thoughts in the comments. I love hearing from fellow bloggers!

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy whatever book you're reading!