Title: Kisses and Croissants

Author: Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Pub. Date: April 6, 2021

Pages: 320

Pub: Delacorte Press

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

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As sweet as a macaron from Laduree, with writing as crisp as a freshly baked baguette, this romantic novel set in Paris about an American ballerina and a charming French boy is parfait for fans of American Royals and Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Seventeen-year-old Mia, an American girl at an elite summer ballet program, has six weeks to achieve her dreams: to snag an audition with one of the world’s best ballet companies. But there’s more to Paris than ballet—especially when a charming French boy, Louis, wants to be her tour guide—and the pair discover the city has a few mysteries up its sleeve.

In the vein of romances like Love and Gelato, this is the perfect summer adventure for anyone looking to get swept away in the City of Love.

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This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. So, can the pandemic end so I can go to Paris and find a cute French boy to show me the city? Because that’s all I want now that I’ve thoroughly inhaled this book. I want a Louis. I want a scavenger hunt to find a distance relative in a famous artists work. I want fresh baguettes, picnics in the park, and the magic of Paris.

Every. Single. Time. I read an adorable rom com I hate my life.

Okay, not really, but you get what I mean.

Why can’t my life be a meet cute, passion, chasing dreams, and all tied up with a cute boy. Going on adventures in a foreign country, finding proof of my destiny in famous paintings and just having the time of my life.

Yes, I could very well make my life all of those things, but it’s not the same.

I’m 100% not extroverted or outgoing enough to move to a city where I don’t speak the language. I would legit have a panic attack. (I don’t do well with change).

I just want my life to be a rom com – is that too much to ask?

Like, magical *poof* this is your life now.

I inhaled this book in one sitting. It’s adorable and so addicting that I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t want to put it down. Though, I will say I was anxious af, and so stressed because I knew that it would play out like all rom coms, and I didn’t want shit to hit the fan. I loved Mia and Louis so much. They are so precious, and I just didn’t want either of them to get hurt. So, I spent a good chunk of time during the first half of the novel, incredibly stressed lol.

I was bracing for the moment everything went to hell.

And then that thing happens at the end. I was lying in bed, and I legit freaked out, rolled over and screaming into my pillow. I didn’t expect that to happen, and I thought the worst.

I’m glad everything worked out the way it did in the end.

And have I mentioned. I want a Louis.

I think that this book lowkey reminds me of Hot British Boyfriend, buy so much better. Like, this is what I wanted that book to be. Mia isn’t there to find love. She’s in Paris to pursue her dream, but she’s not going to stop living. That’s one of the biggest things I love about her. She doesn’t sacrifice her love of life, for the pursuing of her dream. Her love of life fuels her dream, and it shines though in her dancing. She’s just such a great character and feels everything so immensely. I loved it. Her journey throughout this book is so fun and it feels like you’re right there with her.

I know nothing about ballet – I’ve seen one ballet production – Cinderella – years ago (I don’t even remember what company performed – but it was a professional production) but I felt like I understood what was happening. While I couldn’t tell you what all the moves looked like, or how the sequences were supposed to look, the feeling was there. I felt the emotion in Mia, in Audrey and their friends. I didn’t need to know what the moves looked like, I felt them all the same.

Besides Mia, I loved the Degas plotline. I loved the little journey Mia goes on to find out if her grandmother’s story is true. It added such a fun element to the story and made traversing through Paris that much more fun.

My only complaint is that I kept forgetting that Mia was only 17. She felt older, and I almost wish that the characters had been college aged. It makes sense for Mia’s career (and the things she experiences) that she’s only 17, but outside of ballet, she just felt older. So, I don’t know if she was initially older and then aged down, or what, but I kept forgetting she’s just a teenager.

Overall, though, this book was fantastic, and I cannot wait to buy a copy. I loved it so much and y’all need to read it. It’s just a fun read, and kind of the perfect *it’s turning into Spring* read. It just radiates warmth and fun. You’ll inhale it in one sitting. You’ll fall in love with Mia and Louis. This book just feels like magic and you end up falling headfirst into it.