ARC Review: “Kisses and Croissants” by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
“Kisses and Croissants” by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Publishing Date: April 6, 2021
Genre: Romance, Fiction, YA, Contemporary
Page Length: 320 pages (electronic review edition)
Synopsis:
Sixteen-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. (description from Goodreads)
Review:
Kisses and Croissants follows the story of Mia who goes to Paris for a summer ballet intensive program. Though the backdrop of Paris is romantic, she knows that participating in the program might be a way for her to make waves in the dance world. Is she up to the challenge and can she succeed?
While dancing ballet Mia is so focused on dance, but has no time to really explore the city of love. That is until she bumps into Louis, one of her teacher’s son. They have an instant connection when they meet and it soon sparks a small romance. When she’s not dancing they whiz through the streets of Paris on his Vespa, dine at cozy cafes, and explore what the city has to offer. She feels conflicted as she never really had a life outside of ballet. When Mia gets too swept up in her whirlwind romance life becomes tricky as she has to make some tough decisions.
Overall this is a fun, cozy read about growing up and falling in love and making choices. Each character in this novel is presented with multiple crossroads. Choosing dance or living your life? Following one path or being open to multiple options? It discusses trying to navigate your own personal path as Mia knows that in her heart that she’s a dancer but doesn’t know if she can beat the competition. I loved the background of Paris, it’s calm and exciting at the same time. It definitely sparks a wanderlust among readers to travel to the famous city. It wasn’t too heavy and for the most part, it was lighthearted which I enjoyed. If you like stories about travel, romance, and pursuing your passions, check out Kisses and Croissants.
Final Verdict:
I loved ballet stories when I was a girl and still occasionally read or watch a dance story (I’m no dancer tho!); is the dance part of the story fully fleshed out, or does it have that whole could-be-any-artistic-thing feel to it?
I felt like the novel was part discovering Paris and part dance. There’s a lot of scenes within the dorms and dance classes. It shows how rigorous dance and be and even a bit of the competitive spirit between the dancers.