REVIEW | Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Publication Year: 2010

Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Series: NA

Awards: A Bunch of Local YA awards
Format: Audio (from Library)

Narrator: Kim Mai Guest

WHY?:  I'm not entirely sure?  I usually don't like contemporary romance or contemporary YA and this is all of those things.  I think I was in the mood for something light and charming and stumbled upon it while lost (skulking) in the YA audiobook aisle at the library. Bingo!

SYNOPSIS:  Anna Oliphant lives with her recently divorced mother in Georgia until her father decides to give her an experience and enrolls her in a fancy private school for rich Americans (mostly) in Paris for her senior year of high school.  She's pretty bummed about it but her homesickness is lessened a little when she pretty quickly gets sucked into a circle of friends that includes the dreamy Etienne St. Clair.  

THOUGHTS:

As I mentioned above, I am not usually a fan of this type of book.  My YA reading is almost exclusively SFF and my romance reading is always historical.  So Anna and the French Kiss was a departure but so many people had raved about what a charming book it was and I thought I'd at least give it a try.  I don't have a ton to say about it but I did actually really enjoy it and would recommend it to any one looking for a light romance.

If I've learned anything from romance novels it is that clear and open communication is an absolute must.  Why is it so hard?  Well it makes one vulnerable  - for example if one said "I like you and would like to date you and I think maybe you like me, but you've mentioned this guy back home and I'm not sure how you feel about him and I'm also totally confused about where this puts me with my own girlfriend.  She's important to me, and I'm afraid of being alone but things aren't great with her and if they were I wouldn't like you, right?  What are your thoughts on the matter?"  and the other person ran screaming or reacted with disgust that would be incredibly humiliating.  Not to mention that the above monologue reveals, perhaps, some not so pretty things about ourselves.  So it is no surprise that we in the real world, as well as those in romance novels continue to keep our traps shut and therefore create SO MUCH DRAMA.  This is essentially Anna and the French Kiss.  An ode to our fragile egos and inability to make words about feelings.

Besides illustrating the universal truth of De-doo-doo-doo, De-Da-Da-Da by The Police, the main thing the book had going for it was that it felt very authentic and genuine  - Perkins nails the emotional roller coaster of being a teenager in crush mode.  For the most part I totally felt kinship with Anna....well except for the part where the most popular, cutest boy in the school returns her crush.  I've sadly never had that particular experience, lol.  In some ways I did feel more sympathy with the compassionate, stalwart, nurturing, ever suffering Meredith, even though we don't really get to know her but Anna is definitely likable while still flawed enough not to be annoying.  St. Clair as well.  Perkins does a great job creating a boy who is in fact most girls dream guy (British, great sense of humor, kind, easy to talk to, confident without being cocky and handsome) while making sure he had some flaws that helped make him feel real.  Dreamy but real.  

It's also very funny which is what really made this book work for me.  If it had been too earnest...  Thankfully, I laughed out loud often.  In short, it was charming and delightful and only gets a tad too angsty during the denouement. It has SUCH a smoochy, sentimental ending, as all good romances should of course, but I think part of my problem with contemporaries is that I have a harder time buying these perfect endings.

FINAL VERDICT:  If you are looking for a light romantic book that will make you laugh and is (mostly) not annoying, Anna and the French Kiss is for you! 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Other Opinions are Available: Dear Author | Nose Graze

REVIEW | Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Publication Year: 2004

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: NA

Awards: All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll for Best Romance & Best Contemporary Romance & Favorite Funny & Best Heroine & Best Chick Lit/Women's Fiction & Best Couple & Honorable Mention for Best Hero (2005), RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Best Contemporary Single Title (2005)
Format: Paperback from Library

Narrator: NA

WHY?: I never read contemporary romance and as a rather low maintenance type of lady, the whole subgenre of "Chick Lit" just causes irritation and confusion.  So I was surprised to be as intrigued by the premise of this book when it was recommended on the Get Booked Podcast as I was.  I figured if I hated it I could just DNF and go back to my safe world of Regency and Paranormal romance where the lady's kick-ass or at least chafe at the bonds of society's expectations. (Psst...I didn't hate it:). 

SYNOPSIS: Minerva (Min) Dobbs is an accountant who approaches life with a very practical and no nonsense eye.  At the start of the book, the man who she expected to marry, but whom she didn't really care about, breaks up with her because she won't put out. Shortly thereafter she hears him make a bet with his handsome friend, who is infamous for seducing women, that he wouldn't be able to get Min in bed within the month.  Min thinks she hears the handsome friend, also known as our hero Cal, agree to the bet though this is not really what happens. She's pissed and ornery, so when Cal asks her out she accepts and then makes his night pretty miserable.  Cal, who is used to doing no wrong with the woman kind, is mostly put out but also a little refreshed by Min's unique personality.  Sparks fly and complications ensue.

I'm not sure if it's just a case of right book, right time, if my reading tastes have changed or if perhaps this is a standout book but I really adored it.  So much so that I am appalled that I have been without this delightful book for 12 years (it was published in 2004). It has been my conviction, almost religious, that I do not care for contemporary romance or anything that could be classified as "chick" lit.  I don't like to shop or think about clothes or have a complicated face cleansing routine and it was my impression that this is the complete opposite of all the women that inhabit the above named subgenres.  I heard about this book on a Book Riot podcast though and the presenters don't really strike me as the overly girly types either and the premise sounded kind of awesome.  And you know what? It IS kind of awesome.  In fact it's really awesome!  I have seen the light and realize once again that having a closed mind never pays.

Minerva Dobbs is my new hero.  She's cynical, practical, except for the goofy shoes she wears, a little chubby and beaten down.  She dresses like she hates her body because she does thanks to her mother's obsession with weight and looks.  Min's also straight forward and snarky as hell - I loved her!  And while the book did have some of the hallmarks I associate with girly-girl chick lit - for one, the only thing the female characters think about is falling in love, and Min does wear high heels  - I didn't feel Min was overly girly.  I also really appreciated the focus on her female friendships and how not superficial those felt.  

Cal is the perfect hero as well.  There is lots of clever banter and he has a fantastic sense of humor.  He's also not arrogant but confident enough that while he finds Min's abrasiveness a little unpleasant it doesn't scare him off.  He's down to Earth and is the kind of man that finds women of all shapes and sizes beautiful.  Most importantly, at least as far as I'm concerned, he's not an Alpha *choirs of angles sing*.  Basically both characters in this book feel pretty real and are interesting to spend time with. 

So to recap:

• Practical no-nonsense heroine
• Beta hero 
• Lots of hilarious banter  
• Characters that are interesting and who don't act in ways that are dictated by a wacky plot

This is pretty much the check list for romances-that-make-Stephanie-ecstatic. 

FINAL VERDICT: The book was funny, light, romantic, modestly steamy and utterly delightful.  4 out of 5 Stars* 

* Star ratings are weird.  I really like them but at the same time they are hard.  This book was a delight and I think when judged against other romances, it absolutely was a 4 star reading experience but when compared to books at large I'm not sure it quite deserves that kind of rating.  Anyway, it has sparked some contemplation about how I could use star ratings that are a quick and easy way of representing how I felt about the book but also a little more descriptive.  Why, yes I DO overthink everything! How did you know:)?

Other Opinions are Available: Dear Author | Gossamer Obsessions

REVIEW | Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

Publication Year: 1998

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Series: Wilderness #1

Awards: NA

Format: eBook (from Library)

Narrator: NA

WHY?:  I forget exactly where I saw this book recommended but I was so excited about it, I immediately put it on hold at the library.  Even though it was published 18 years ago I had to wait for months to get it.  I speculate that it's current popularity is related to it being compared to Outlander, which is having a very hot moment indeed.

SYNOPSIS:  Elizabeth Middleton travels from England to join her father in a small town he founded in upstate New York, circa 1790. She is 29 years old, a spinster and her dream is to start a school in the town.  Her plans quickly become much more complicated when she makes the acquaintance of Nathaniel Bonner, a widower and self-sufficient homesteader who lives a life somewhere between the world of the European Settlers and the native peoples of the area.  She feels drawn to him and when she gives into temptation it sets her on an adventure through the American wilderness.

This book took me forever to read.  It weighs in at 878 pages so it is an official chunkster but it should not have taken the month and a half that I ended up needing to get through it.  Part of the reason it went slowly was a quirk of mine that has popped up in a few books lately and that makes it hard for me to decide whether I liked the book or not.  The problem lies primarily with the female protagonist because I am decidedly choosy about female characters.  Whether this choosiness is from some anti-feminist bias that I have internalized unconsciously or whether I just demand, what I deem to be, realistic portrayals of female characters, I don't know, and is probably fodder for another post.  The bottom line is that I don't connect with the main female character and this fact ends up casting a pall over what is otherwise a pretty fantastic book.  I have run into this in two other books lately (Cast in Shadow, and The Founding) and I aim to review both of them this week too.

However, I need to back up and say a little more about Into the Wilderness.  This book and its series frequently gets compared to the Outlander series and even features a cameo from the two main characters from Outlander.  There are other similarities as well and I think if you are a fan of that series, Into the Wilderness is worth checking out.  It's historical fiction, heavy on the romance but it can't really be called a historical romance.  The plot and setting are too much front and center to put it into the romance genre.

The historical details and ambiance were the biggest strengths of the book for me.  Donati is able to relate a wealth of information about the time period and the culture of the time without it ever feeling like she is imparting the information. If you are history buff with an eye for accurate details, it may not stand up but if you are just interested in feeling a historical setting you should be pleased by Into the Wilderness.  Nathaniel and his father, though they are of European descent, have close ties to the native peoples in the area and this gives Donati the ability to present the world through the lens of both.  It all feels very authentic and easy to sink into.  As a Wildlife Biologist, I particularly enjoyed that the book touched on the hunting of game, even introducing the seeds that would give birth to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. [ASIDE: In simple terms the European model is that the landowner owns all the game on his land and sole hunting rights vs. the North American Model where the hunter owns the game (as long as he isn't trespassing etc...) - i.e. the game is not "owned" but belongs equally to all who wish to pursue.  The seven tenets of the NA Model are called the seven sisters and they are quite shockingly socialist and beautiful...and also the cause of a lot of debate.]

The story is epic and full of complications and adventure.  It's a soap opera but without all the negative connotations that description might bring.  It's emotional, suspenseful, exciting and romantic.  When I sat down to read, I would easily get sucked in and it kept me up past my bed time a couple nights.   If you have any interest in this time period, in stories that take place in the wilderness or on a frontier, I think you will really enjoy this book.

So why am I only giving the book 3 out of 5 stars?  I think because of those quirky personal preferences I mention above and which I will try to describe clearly below so that if they are things that bother you too, you can be at least prepared.  I think it's important to point out, to offset what may turn out to be a bit of a rant below, that even with the mediocre rating and my issues, I am very interested in continuing on in the series and reading other books by Sara Donati.

A lot of my issues center around the character of Elizabeth.  She and Nathaniel are the perspective characters for much of the book but she is much more its main character.  On the surface she is a great female role model character - independent, strong willed, tough, brave, feminine and smart. And she ended up annoying the crud out of me.

Some of the irritation surrounds the romance.  I generally enjoyed Nathaniel and Elizabeth as a pair and I liked them together but their "courtship" feels a lot like insta-love. They spend perhaps 12 hours total in each others company before she chucks everything, betrays her family and they run off together.  So much for the independent spinster.  I am inordinately fond of a slow-burn romance and hate when things happen so fast.  I would have much preferred if she had resisted the attraction a little longer out of loyalty to her independence and perhaps a little emotional fear. Or perhaps you keep the quick marriage but make it one of mutual benefit and not emotion and have the love develop after?  This would have allowed the plot to follow the same path since the quick marriage is key to the plot. As it was, I couldn't help getting a little gleeful with every conflict the two have after they are married usually because Elizabeth realizes she doesn't really know Nathaniel or anything about him.

I also had a hard time not seeing Elizabeth as selfish and disloyal when she screws over her father to run off with Nathaniel.  Sure her Dad kind of deserves it but his main failing is that he is weak-willed, ineffectual and a product of his time; he is not evil or cruel so it doesn't quite sit right and doesn't reflect well on her that she just turns her back on him for a man she's known for only a few weeks.  Honestly I would've been more engaged by her if she had been a little more outwardly and admittedly selfish which she could have later regretted and tried to fix, but in fact she's pretty self-righteous about it all and the story backs her up. Blergh.

In the end, I just didn't believe in Elizabeth and thought Donati made her a little too extraordinary.  She's super smart and well educated, she adjusts to hard hiking in the wilderness in the span of 3 days even though up to this point she has been a pampered English miss, she's a perfect judge of character who always knows just the right thing to say.  She defies Nathaniel when she should and it only makes him love her more.  As does everybody who is good in the book.  They all adore her.  It's not fair to call her a Mary Sue as she is too fleshed out but she is definitely just a little too unbelievably talented at and right-minded about everything.  So of course I found her boring at best and annoying at worst.  She was not relatable.  To be fair, Nathaniel also is a bit too unbelievably wonderful.  I would have liked and been interested in them more if they had some real and believable weaknesses and more interesting personalities.

FINAL VERDICT:  A fantastic historical setting and wilderness adventure story that I would have liked better with more interesting characters.  3 out of 5 stars.

Other Opinions are Available: Susie's Blog | Outlandish Observations

A couple of additional random notes:

• I frequently found myself thinking that Nathaniel reminded me of Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans.  In fact, his father "Hawkeye" is meant to be the older Daniel Day Lewis character from the movie, making this professional movie fan fic:).
• How do I think this compared to Outlander?  I have tried getting through the first book in that series twice and have abandoned the book twice halfway.  So, for me, this book was superior:).