This book was a dream come true for me! Growing up, I too was a ballerina who dreamed of Paris! I thankfully had my chance to go to Paris in high school- it was not for a life-changing ballet program, and I didn't meet a cute, French boy, but it was still magical! This book was a perfect, feel-good, sweet story that I completely adored! This is one of my favorites I have read so far this year, and I will definitely be adding this to my library! I highly recommend it!

I’ve just finished reading Kisses and croissants, and I can truly say Je suis amoureux (I am in love).
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I was given the opportunity by NetGalley to read an ARC of this book. And I’m extremely appreciative because it was honestly so good! I haven’t truly devoured a book as quickly as I did this one. It had everything I needed! There was ballet, friendships, baked goodies, Paris, adventure, family, ups and downs, romance, and my favorite part: growth.
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I truly loved Mia, she was lovable from the very beginning. Her character got me hooked and kept me reading. As the story progressed and Mia was introduced to challenges and fun things. You could see her grow her wings. It was done in such a way that was admirable and subtly perfect. Also, the love interest (Louis) was not the driving force for her growth. Admittedly he helped, as did her friends, but he wasn’t her sole reason for growth. Which was so refreshing to read.
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On that note, the other characters in this book were brilliant! They were well developed and aided the story so well. I love Louis and his story! I want to hear more from these characters. Another thing to note is that this book is quite an easy read. Even though there is plenty of ballet talk and some French sprinkled throughout, it was easy to follow. I was never confused, just captivated. It’s the perfect summer/spring read. It gives off vibes of Love & Gelato without being it!

This is probably one of the cutest YA books I’ve read in a while! It was a marvelous journey, full of romance, sweet times, and just so heartwarming. Sharing Mia’s passion and love for ballet while she spent the summer in Paris seriously had me smiling from ear to ear.

Mia is just an amazing and wholesome character. Her love for ballet was palpable through the pages and I’m so happy she got her happy ending. Also, that whole side plot about it being in her blood because of her ancestor was so genuine. I think it added more dimension to Mia and the time she spent in Paris. Louis was an absolute sweetheart and he was perfect for Mia. This really does read like your quintessential YA coming-of-age, first-love story and it was perfect.

This was really just a sweet story and the premise was executed fabulously.

Books give you someplace to go if you have nowhere to go. If you want to take a trip to Paris Kisses and Croissants is the book that will take you there. I enjoyed this story. It is a cute YA romance with lots of ballet set against a great backdrop. Though I did feel like sometimes Mia's thoughts tended to ramble on and I found myself skimming a little. I still recommend for those that are looking for a book set in Paris who enjoy YA romances.
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Mia aspired to be a ballerina and had worked towards this goal her entire life. Her determination and hard work paid off, and she won a spot in a prestigious summer program in PARIS! Though she came to Paris laser focused on winning an apprenticeship, her heart had some ideas of its own.

This was such a fun and sweet summer romance! It was easy to ship Mia and Louis immediately. This French boy charmed both me and Mia, and I loved that he pushed her to enjoy all the Paris had to offer. Without Louis' encouragement, I fear that Mia would have really missed out on some wonderful experiences and learning more about herself.

But there was more to this story than just the romance. The combination of setting, ballet, and family mystery added extra layers to the story, which I really adored.

🥐 AHHHH, A SUMMER IN PARIS

Jouhanneau did an incredible job transporting me to Paris. She showed me the sights, took me on a non-touristy tour, and fed me until I burst. The city truly shined in this book, as it was such an integral part of Mia's journey. I had only been to Paris once, and it was many years ago, therefore, I greatly enjoyed the return trip.

🥐 BALLET DREAMS

I have always loved the world of dance. I only dabbled as a kid, but I was a hard-core dance mom, and wholeheartedly appreciated the hard work and mental fortitude needed to succeed in this world. The passion Mia had for ballet was obvious, and her determination was admirable. I really enjoyed riding this roller coaster with her as she fought for her dream. There were successes and setbacks, and each one helped move Mia closer to her end goal.

🥐 FAMILY MYSTERY

Mia came from a family of dancers, or so the tale went. Part of Mia's summer was spent trying to find the truth behind the family lore. Was her relative really one of Degas' ballerinas? The search was fun. It resulted in Mia meeting some wonderful relatives, took her to some fantastic places, and helped her figure out some things about herself.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed my summer in Paris with Mia. It was a joy to accompany her as she pursued her dream, and it was wonderful rooting her on and applauding for her along the way. This was a fun and sweet story of family, friendship, romance, hopes, and dreams, which left me with a big smile on my face.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

All Mia Jenrow has ever wanted was to be able to audition, and hopefully get a place, at the most prestigious ballet company in America. When she falls at the first hurdle, she decides to apply for an intensive six-week programme in Paris, studying with the best, and against all odds, she manages to get a place. Now, Mia is good, but so is everyone else, and if she wants to impress the maitre de ballet, she'll need to pull out all the stops, and not let anything, or anyone get in her way. However, being in the city of love proves fruitful, and when Mia meets the son of her tutor, Louis, who helps her when she's in need, the sparks start to fly. Can Mia continue to remain so stoically focused on ballet, or will her feelings for Louis get in her way?

I liked this book, but I will admit there were times I was shaking my head a little. It was a dead quick read, and I was hooked by all of the descriptions of Paris, and the city, and the food. Mia, too, was a lovely main character, who seemed both an old soul, and quite immature at times. I really respected her focus on her art, and how much she really cared about doing well and succeeding - especially when her mam was dead set against her wishes. When she is given a really important role in the next production, which would bring her to the attention of the different ballet companies, she is overjoyed, but still, I was a bit annoyed with her at times. Even though it was very important for her to be on her A-game, she spent time with Louis and ignored her friends and her practising. Yes, they were a cute couple, and I did like the ending - even with the shocking plot twist in between, but still there are times when I wanted Mia to be more invested in her goals. But, all in all, it was a really cute contemporary read, and definitely perfect for fans of Love & Gelato and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

4.5 stars
If you know anything about me, you know I'm a sucker for any book that takes place in France. Reading this book, I was torn between absolute love and complete jealousy that I didn't have distant relatives living in France and was never on my way to becoming a professional ballerina so I could attend a 6 week summer dance program in Paris.
A lot of this book was focused on ballet, as the main character Mia is attending a prestigious summer ballet program in Paris and refuses to think about anything but getting a part in the Black Swan performance at the end of the program. At first I thought it was going to be too dance heavy since Mia is constantly telling herself that she is ONLY in Paris to dance. It ended up being the perfect balance of dance, adventures and friendship. The dance part was easy to follow despite all the ballet lingo. I have a very small knowledge of ballet, but for the most part I could picture Mia dancing in my head.
I really loved Mia. She was so passionate about ballet and becoming a professional ballerina. But she was also able to have friends and didn't feel bad about taking some time to visit her great aunt, or have other adventures and forget about dancing for a little while. I also absolutely loved Louis, because who wouldn't love to meet a handsome French boy in Paris and fall in love? The friends Mia makes in her dance program also seem so genuine and it was very heartwarming. I absolutely loved the relationship Mia formed with her great aunt who she had never met before and didn't speak English. She also had not the best relationship with her mom and I really adored how their relationship ended up.
So the actual plot. I was certain this was going to be the typical contemporary. I was sure I had it figured out. Then, one little thing I thought I had figured out was wrong. Then another. Then a total bombshell. Not at all what I was expecting and I loved it.
While this book has a lot to do with ballet, don't be deterred. It is easy to follow and includes food, landmarks, clothes, family and friends. It was absolutely wonderful.

This was such a sweet and charming young adult romance wherein our heroine spends a summer in Paris following her dreams and encounters a few other grand adventures along the way from love to family. Luis whisks Mia all over the city as their slow burn romance builds with every Paris tourist attraction as their perfect backdrop. I am not very familiar with ballet so I appreciated the look behind the scenes at the passion, energy, scrutiny, and competition each ballerina must face to pursue her dreams at a high level much like any other athlete.

I enjoyed the upbeat and fast pace of the overall story and was pleased to see so many of the side characters blossoming right along with Mia and Luis giving an extra layer to every page. The author surprised me with a few extra twists and turns that I did not see coming which was a very welcome treat as a reader.

This felt very much like a love story to Paris as much as between Mia and Luis. It also had a beautiful undercurrent of following one's dreams but being able to pivot as things change and not be overly single-minded in search of those dreams.

What a sweet read! I enjoyed getting to know Mia and the Paris setting was perfect. This isn't what I typically read, but it was a breath of fresh air.

I thought this story was adorable. While I think Mia comes off a bit too earnest in the beginning, literally naming every tourist attraction in Paris as she sees it, I also know the feeling of pressing my face to a window, in awe of a new exciting destination. That being said, I absolutely loved the Mia/Audrey arc. I couldn't have been routing for Louis and Mia more, and I even loved the family dynamics. I think the book is really sweet, and it genuinely made me miss Paris.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Aspiring ballerina Mia Jenrow arrives in Paris for the summer to attend an elite ballet program with big dreams. If she can succeed in the next six weeks, she could qualify for an audition with some of the best ballet companies in the world. But already the summer isn’t going according to plan. For starters, her mother is less than supportive of her ballet dreams. Her rival from New York, Audrey, is her roommate for the summer, and Louis, a charming French boy whom she meets threatens to be a distraction from her goal. But as the weeks progress, she finds herself discovering the city and she and Louis find themselves on the trail of unravelling the truth behind an old family story of Mia’s, concerning an ancestor who was supposedly a ballet dancer in Paris herself.

Regular readers of my blog will know that I rarely, if ever, pick up contemporary novels. However, I couldn’t resist requesting this book because it just sounded so light-hearted and fun and also, it takes place in Paris – it’s one of my favourite settings for contemporary novels. After reading half a dozen 500+ page tomes, this short and sweet book was exactly what I needed. Frankly, it was nice for a change to read a book that didn’t get me worked up about who the villain was or what catastrophe was going to befall my favourite characters.

Paris was so beautifully described and I loved seeing it all through Mia’s eyes as she explores the city. It’s just such a magical setting and the iconic sights make it easy to get into the mood of the story. Equally interesting were the glimpses of how ballet works behind the scenes – a topic I knew very little about – in particular, how much time, hard work and dedication the art demands. The mystery aspect was also really nice and added a bit of adventure to the story.

Mia was a great character and it was very clear how passionate she was about ballet. What I liked however, was that as focused as she was, she also knew how to relax and have fun when the situation called for it. Mia’s relationship with Audrey, her rival eventually turned friend, was excellently portrayed. Louis was nice enough, but I felt he was a little underdeveloped as a character and could have used a little more complexity.

Overall, this book was pretty much exactly what I expected and the only criticism I can give it was that it was kind of predictable – but no less enjoyable for that fact. This was my first time reading a book by this author, but I’m looking forward to trying her other works too. Kisses and Croissant is a cute story that will make you smile and makes for a perfect summer read! Definitely recommended!

Seventeen year old American Mia's life is all about ballet. She is accepted in an elite summer program at the ballet school of the Paris Opera, one of the most famous and best ballet academies. Her dream is to audition for the American Ballet Theater at the end of the summer program. Her time in romantic Paris is everything she dreamed of. Not only is she accepted into the ballet program, which is just one of the best, she is placed a level higher by one of the most strict ballet masters, and is picked to dance the part of the black swan Odile at the end performance of Swan Lake. Where she has to work together with a girl named Audrey, who dances the part of the white swan and truly seems to dislike her.

She also meets a guy named Louis, who becomes her friend and shows her around Paris. Not knowing that he is the son of her strict ballet master..beside ballet classes, she has a great time with him in Paris, diving into all the fun sighths and sees and a lot of Degas. But then some things happen that put her relationship with Louis and her future ballet career in true jeopardy..

I truly was curious for this book, and it totally topped my expectations! I did ballet in the past and I have been to Paris so this was already both familar to me. Most of all, the book is written in such a fun and entertaining way, wow! The whole Paris scenery was perfect in every way. The romance between Mia and Louis was just so cute, it really had a bump later on, when Mia has to choose between her relationship or concentrate fully on ballet, but that was a nice twist in the story. And then (spoiler alert! ) there was this big plot twist in the last part of the book that I totally didn't expect. It was so heartbreaking what happened, I really hoped things turned out well for Mia.

So overall, I just LOVED kisses and croissants, a perfect book for this spring, very entertaining, for everyone who loves Paris and ballet!!

What a cute little read. Perfect for spring to take us away and let us leave the current state of the world right now.

This book was beyond adorable. While I am in LOVE with Paris, croissants and crepes... I am not normally a huge ballet fan in general. And while I probably will not be going to see a ballet any time soon, I enjoyed everything about this book! Mia and Louis (Milo) are adorable and I was routing for them. There is a big twist at the end just when you think you know how everything will turn out HEA and I am glad for it! This book is a light YA romance however the twist at the end really does drill home some important themes.

This is a cute book and perfect quick read for anyone wanting a YA book. It transports you to Paris and makes you want to visit or reminds you of places visited. The ending makes you want to know what happens next for the main character with her next chapter. I highly recommend to anyone just wanting to know your past or family history may or may not affect your present or future (depends on how you embrace it).

Seventeen-year-old Mia is going to have the best summer of her life. At least, she hopes so. She’s been accepted into a prestigious Parisian ballet summer program, but with only six weeks in Paris, Mia’s dreams are fighting for precedence. Dream #1: Earn an audition with one of the world’s best ballet companies to set up a future career as a professional dancer. Dream #2: Solve a ballet-centered family mystery. Dream #3: Fall in love in the city of love. With time running out, Mia must decide where her heart truly lies: with the charming French boy she may just be falling for or with her passion for ballet that could lead to a brilliant career in the spotlight. Yet there’s more to Paris than Mia first believes, and the key to unlocking her all of dreams may be even closer than she realizes.

Just as the perfect croissant is light, fluffy, and melts in your mouth, Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau’s U.S. debut is deliciously decadent in the perfect way. Mia’s passion for ballet shines through on every page, and I absolutely loved exploring one of my favorite cities at her side. Mia’s not perfect (who is?), but her flaws make her realistic and the growth she experiences is both emotional and heartwarming. And speaking of heartwarming, sign me up for a sweet summer romance in the city of love! The romantic elements were flirty and fun, but also heartbreaking in the most genuine way. All of the characters are so developed and each go through their own journey of self-discovery. While Mia is our main tour guide for the story, I found myself also enjoying the time spent with her roommate Audrey. Readers can identify with so many fantastic themes in this novel: love, passion, perseverance, family, and more. Kisses and Croissants is parfait for those who enjoy the magic of traveling, the desire to follow a dream, and the enchantment of falling in love.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Kisses and Croissants is perfect for fans of Love & Gelato and Anna and the French Kiss! Open this book and find yourself immersed in the incredibly romantic, and picturesque setting of Paris with Mia, a high schooler with dreams of becoming a professional ballerina. Mia is attending an elite summer program in France for ballet. She’s hoping she’ll get an offer from ABT, the American Ballet Theatre, at the end of the program. Mia’s determined to focus on ballet 24/7...until she meets Louis. As you can probably imagine, Louis is not only incredibly handsome, and french, but he’s also rather charming. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to resist him. Where do I find someone like Louis? If I go to France, can I find a swoon-worthy French guy like him?

At its core, this story is about growing up and forging your own path. It’s about fighting for what you want even if others find it impossible or impractical. This book also shines a light on making time for other things besides your job and your passion, such as hanging out with friends and falling in love. Mia has never had to balance ballet with anything else. Ballet has been her sole focus since she was a little girl...until now. Now she’s in Paris, a place she desperately wants to explore, and she’s not only met a guy she likes, but she’s also making incredible friendships with her classmates.

I recommend this book to all fans of contemporary romance. It’s light, fun, sweet, and incredibly cute. You’ll find yourself smiling nonstop while reading it. You’ll no doubt finish the book with a happy heart. This book radiates hope and joy.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

It's really refreshing to be able to read the first novel of an author. Anne-Sophie knows how to make you feel what her characters experiment during their journey.
The story centers in Mia, an American teenager who has been dancing ballet all her life and gets the chance to spend her summer, six weeks, in one of the best ballet programs in the city of Paris, looking that at the end she will get an audition with a very important ballet company.

Even as an adult I enjoyed it. From the chapters Mia gets to Paris, I felt myself in the beautiful city of art and light, and I couldnn't help but to read all of it in one night. It's good and interesting, and it makes you feel hungry for French croissants!
This is a sweet romance I would read again once it's published!

Read if you like: Anna and the French Kiss.
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I loved many aspects of this book. Mia goes to France for a Summer ballet program as well as to learn more about her French ancestor's, but she didn't expect to experience some summer romance in Paris. I loved Mia as a character. She was passionate about her dream to become a professional ballerina, but she was also passionate in other ways and I loved how caring she was.
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I also loved the description of ballet in the book. As someone who did ballet when I was younger, it felt great to become absorbed into that world again. And, while the love story didn't necessarily feel like the main focus of the book, I thought it was super cute!
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CW: car accident.

Wow. What an incredible book. It was just everything. This book very much reminded me of Center Stage (the movie) so if you liked the movie, you'll LOVE this book. The book had everything - it had ballet, Paris, croissants, kissing, love, excitement, Swan Lake and more French food. This book is about Mia who goes to a Parisian dance school for a 6 week dance program. While there, she has a French dance journey which is truly magical - from learning more about her ancestors and meeting a cute French boy. The book was beautifully written and it had me hooked to read more and find out what happens next. This book made me laugh out loud, gasp audibly and shed a few tears. Highly recommend this book who needs some adventure in their life too.