PARIS, BALLET, SUMMER ROMANCE!!!! Mia has been accepted into an intense ballet program in Paris to help her get one step closer to her dream. All she wants is to get an audition for the American Ballet Theater in New York. No one can get between her and her dream. Well except maybe her long time rival, Audrey, and an adorable dark haired French boy. Audrey and Mia are stuck rooming together while competing to be in the highest level of the program. Mia is given a rare chance to show she has what it takes to be in Audrey's level and has limited time to find the right uniform before the morning class the next day. As she rushes out to find it, she runs into the adorable Louis. He saves the day by taking her to the store and they make it just in time! Their adventures continue once she tells him about a family story passed down from generations. Mia is driven, but also knows how to enjoy her passion and have fun outside of ballet. This is an adorable summer romance that includes a bit of a family mystery and most importantly ballet!

3.5 stars. Kisses and croissants is a cute contemporary book following an American ballerina and a French boy. And the romance that blooms between them in Paris. Most characters were loveable and ending were enjoyable and quite nice. But I would’ve definitely loved to see more dancing scenes. Overall, it was an enjoyable and quick read. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House children’s for sending me this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for the eARC of <i>Kisses and Croissants</i> by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau in exchange for an honest review. I had a wonderful time with this young adult contemporary romance. All you had to do to get me interested is tell me that this is about cute French boys, ballet, French treats, and a summer in Paris. This is the cute, romantic, easygoing, and fun escapist read that I needed after that rough week last week with the snow storm that broke the energy grids in the southern United States.

As a francophile and Parisienne (in my head), my relationship with content about the City of Lights is judged heavily before I consume it. I’m protective over this culture and I become easily exhausted by the narrative of a cishet white woman going to this place to find herself and love since we have a ton of stories about that in the romance genre. Still, I found this enjoyable because as a former ballet dancer, I had dreams of doing the exact same thing. This book is so specifically targeted towards me and I appreciate that.

Mia is a seventeen year old girl and at the age where ballerinas are in pre-professional programs as it is the time to lock down a company to start professional work. Mia not only dedicates all of her time to ballet but she believes it’s in her blood because of a family legend that an ancestor of hers was painted by the artist Degas. For those who don’t know, Degas is famous for painting the Paris Opera Ballerinas in the 19th century. Mia is a quirky, highly emotional, and romantically minded girl and I enjoy that about her. I think it’s hard not being a bit of a romantic when traveling to Paris no matter what you’re there for. Along with a home turf rival and a demanding dance teacher, she meets Louis relatively early on and is swept in a story where Mia must choose between her dream career and romance.

The story is straightforward enough, right? While Mia has some flaws like lack of technique and a less than supportive mother, I find myself wishing that the POV was from the perspective of her rival Audrey. Unlike Mia who is a bleeding heart, Audrey is the more technical ballerina who has focus and keeps her emotions in check. I kind of wish that instead of the cliché story about how people who open their heart to Paris will get everything they want, we got a story that felt more realistic to the circumstances. Mia is doing a once in a lifetime summer pre-professional program in Paris of all places. I simply didn’t believe that with all the dancers from America that is Mia’s age, Mia was one of the select few who got to go. The author spent a lot of time telling us how great Mia is instead of showing us. I felt like she didn’t take things seriously with how she spoke to instructors. I get that this is a YA romance first and foremost, so the relationship is front and center but I am a former ballet dancer and I keep up with the art form to this day. I found her lack of professionalism in this situation distracting.

Aside from other aspects of her Mia’s personality that got on my nerves, this book does a lot of things right. I loved the believable French dialogue and the descriptions of the people and culture. The French terms were explained easily for those who don’t speak French. I am someone who speaks French and I could tell that these weren’t just copy and paste from the translator.

While the book is predictable and a bit of a roller coaster in the last 30%, I think that this is a pleasant and enjoyable read for those of us who need someone cute and simple. While I wish there was more depth in some areas and less repetition, I think this was a wonderful treat. I will consider owning this because it feels like a cute romantic comedy film.

This book was such a delight! I felt like I escaped to Paris and enjoyed the sights and food just as Mia did ❤️

Sweet seventeen year old Mia grew up as a ballerina and spending all her time in ballet studios. When she gets the opportunity to go to Paris for the summer to participate in one of the most prestigious ballet schools, she’s delighted and all her focus is on ballet...until she meets Louis.

Louis is such a caring, romantic and genuine character! He goes out of his way to show Mia the amazing country of Paris but unfortunately they realize Mia’s summer in Paris is only so long!

I really enjoyed this book! I flew through it and would love to read more about Mia and her ballet experience. I grew up taking dance classes (tap, jazz and ballet) but you don’t have to be a dancer to enjoy this book!

Mia’s relationship with Audrey, her roommate and rivalry (at first) is my favorite. Mia teaches Audrey that life isn’t all about ballet and to enjoy her short time in Paris as well.

This book did have a few twists and turns that I didn’t expect and overall, was a great Young Adult book!

This was such a fun and cute read! I was a dancer for many years when I was younger and did ballet for quite some time as a young girl so seeing Mia's passion for ballet on the page was wonderful. Paris is also one of my favourite cities and since travel is limited right now, this book was the perfect escape. What initially drew me to this book was the beautiful cover but the story within was even better. The setting was magical, the characters were developed and I just had so much fun reading Mia's adventures. Would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoyed books like 'Anna and the French Kiss' or 'Love and Gelato'.

This was a great contemporary summer read for teens and adults alike. I would absolutely recommend it to people.

I love a book that travels abroad, so I was super excited to read another YA contemporary with that elements.

Things I liked:
- All the traveling in France! Mia and Louis go on an adventure all over Paris, and even more rural parts of France and it was so much fun to read during a time when we literally ca’t leave our houses.
- The relationship was pretty cute. I was worried things would be a little too cliche and corny. While they were pretty cliche, I found that I didn’t mid it as much. Louis is such a cutie and I loved every page he was on.
- Mia’s passion for ballet was infectious! Her dedication was admirable, and she really figures out what’s most important to her over the course of the book. It’s about finding your passion, seeing your choices, learning for own mistakes and chasing your dreams.

Things I didn’t like:
- I wish that Louis and Mia had more of a lowborn romance. But the two meet really early on in the book, and it was basically love at first sight.
- Also Mia was a bit unfair to Louis at points when it came to her prioritizing dance. I think she could have been more mature, or at the very least more straightforward with her intentions.

Overall, Kisses and Croissants was a fun book that really brought me to Paris through it’s pages. If you’re looking for a book in the vain of Love and Gelato or Anna and the French Kiss, this is the book for you!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Kisses and Croissants was such a fun read! With all the awfulness going on in the world, I was eager to pick this up, looking for a happy bit of escape and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT! My only complaint was that I was not at a cafe by the Seine while I read it!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC!
This was an adorable YA rom-com! I loved it!
Mia is training to be a ballerina and is offered a spot in a summer program in Paris. Mia learns to handle the stress of the program while also finding summer love in Paris.
Please read this book when it comes out! It is adorable!

Ah Paris! The perfect place to set a sweet romance.

Mia arrives in Paris for an intensive six-week summer ballet program. Representatives from the top ballet companies attend the final performance of Swan Lake and invite dancers to auditions. It’s Mia’s chance to make her dreams come true.

But when Mia meets the handsome Louis on the steps of the Academy, she thinks she might have time for a distraction. Especially when Louis offers to help her investigate the family legend that one of Mia’s ancestors was a ballerina who posed for the famed painter Desgas. Mia believes this will prove ballet is in her blood and her destiny.

I loved seeing Paris through Mia’s eyes! And her romance with Louis was so sweet! Those two are adorbs, even when dealing with the inevitable complications that come their way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet, light, and fun! Makes me want to book a trip asap, but due to the current conditions of the world, I guess I'll stick to this book– thank goodness you can feel transported through reading! (:

Mia is going to try to live her dream - she is off to Paris to attend an elite ballet school. Her goal is to get an offer to dance at the elite ABT in New York City.

She meets a boy, Louis, who will try to sweep her off her dancing feet by showing her around Paris and assisting her with her capers.

Will she meet her goal? Will Louis be the man she thinks he is?

This was so sweet! I loved Mia! She is so ambitious and adventurous. I could see this being made in to a new Netflix movie

“I want to find proof that Degas painted my ancestor. It would make me so happy if I could figure this out before I go home. Do you want to do this with me?” Louis smiles. “Yes, Mia. I would love to make you happy.”

Ahh the feels! Mia, our main character is in Paris as a student in a prestigious ballet program. She lives and breaths ballet despite her mother’s lack of support. Louis is the son of parents who’s passions have taken them far in life but Louis does not have a passion of his own. The two end up joining forces to find a famous Degas painting of Mia’s ancestor to prove to herself and her family that she comes from a line of historic ballerinas and that ballet is in her blood. I want to say this is a coming of age story, but honestly the maturity of Mia had me questioning my own maturity haha. Her inner dialogue kept surprising me in the best way. I would also say the cute-o-meter is as high as books like Love & Gelato & To All The Boys.

Sparks fly. There’s lots of croissants and Vespa rides. Swan Lake behind the scenes. I learned so much about ballet and may have spent a few hours watching YouTube and TikToks afterwards. Every time a position was named I would Google it and it totally helped me visualize what she was talking about. I love that Mia’s growth is partially due to her classmates, Louis and her family in Paris and back home but it was mostly her. She is definitely a stubborn gal, but I appreciated her strength in and out of ballet.

Lastly, I just want to note and praise the details of Paris again. There were restaurants, small street details, museums, it truly felt like I was there and what a perfect time to read something like that when traveling is nonexistent right now. I was happy to read that the author grew up just outside of Paris which explains a lot. I was thinking this author must be from Paris or wrote this book there because wow the details were Perfection. Anyway, if you’re still reading this you’ll know I enjoyed this book immensely and can’t wait for everyone to read it in April. *Not me laying back down after being a dork and trying out one of Mia’s moves* #ThisIs29 🩰

This book was so cute and perfect for an easy romance book!

Set in Paris, an aspiring ballerina falls in love with the City of Paris and a cute French boy. This book reminded me a lot of Love & Gelato, but even more authentic. I didn’t feel that the setting was forced, and the side stories worked beautifully into the main storyline. The characters were relatable, even if they were slightly underdeveloped. I really appreciated this book as a cute ya romance, even if it’s not a necessarily groundbreaking read.

First off thank you Random House Children for allowing me this EARC. I really enjoyed this book!

This book was beautifully written. Mia, a ballet dancer, is accepted for a dance program in Paris with dreams of getting into her dream ballet school. She soon meets Louis, and their relationship takes a turn. The book was fast-paced, brilliantly written, and extremely refreshing. The description of Paris was vivid but left room for imagination. It varied from most other books in its ending. The story had a saudade, nostalgic ending. It allowed for a realistic way of it ending, and that not everything in life can be “perfect”.
My first thoughts about the characters were how Mia’s character was full of passion and life. Mia’s passion for everything she did had me rethinking how I looked at certain things in my own life. Louis’ character felt slightly overdone in terms of how he was written. There was no character development and he felt slightly superficial. However Louis’ character showed clear adoration for Mia, and that was enough for me. From their flirting to their feuding, the pair left me extremely engaged. Next, Audrey and Mia’s relationship, which sat with me throughout the entirety of the book. Their relationship was tense bittersweet, however, even though they were never close friends, their relationship warmed my heart. The air of the academy itself was also expressed. From the relationship of the students to the instructors, everything was articulated perfectly. This really was a very cute and satisfying book!

*The exact same review is found on my Goodreads!

Kisses and Croissants is a really cute book and a great US debut.

Mia dreams of being a famous ballerina. Ballet is her whole life. There are even stories that her great, great, great grandma was a ballerina in Paris that was painted by a famous artist. Mia is determined to find out if the story is true or not. It's a part of who she is. While Mia wants to be at ABT in New York, she wasn't accepted. Luckily she was accepted into a summer program in Paris. When she gets there, Mia finds out that she has to room with her rival, Audrey. Audrey and Mia are opposites in pretty much everything except ballet. Mia is emotional and likes to have fun. Audrey is strict and doesn't show a lot of feeling when she dances. But the girls are able to bond a bit because of ballet right away. Over time, the two grow close.

Mia meets a cute boy right away. Louis helps her out with a store that's closing and the two start to talk. Mia spends free time with Louis and he wants to help her find out about her ancestor and the painting. Mia is torn because the whole summer is about ballet. She needs to land a big role in Swan Lake so that the recruiters see her. But it's hard to ignore Louis and the city. Mia explores a lot and meets her great aunt. While Mia is loving her time in Paris, she knows that it's all affecting her dancing. Especially after she makes a small mistake.

"Ballet isn't something you can do halfway. It has to be inside you, deep in your bones. Or else you will fail."

I adored the friendships that started in this book. The relationship is adorable, even with the issues they have. And I loved reading all about ballet and Paris. This was a fun book to read and I enjoyed the author's writing.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

KISSES AND CROISSANTS by Anne-Sophie Jouhnaaeau is the perfect YA version of Netflix's Emily in Paris! This book was pure escapism and (even though it gave me a major case of wanderlust!!!!!) I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
When I read the description of this book, I couldn’t wait to read it, I wish I was that excited to write this review but sadly this book was not for me. This book is meant for older YA (Mia is seventeen but the summary says sixteen) but would be better fitted for middle graders or a younger YA crowd, the first person POV also didn’t do the book any favors, I feel it would have been improved by being in a third person pov.

Mia didn’t have any personality except she kept saying ballet was in her blood because of a family legend, that was her only motivation. She also kept mentioning she had no time for any romance but the moment she arrived in France she was already flirting with a waiter and had an instant love with the romantic interest the next day. She also agreed to go to a town in the middle of nowhere with a guy she had just met, but because it was the romantic interest it was supposed to be cute.

The whole book felt like a kidz bop version of Emily in Paris, in a bad way. Mia is pretty much handed everything and things always managed to work out in her favor. For example, she missed a train and had to stay in the middle of nowhere sharing a room with the romantic interest but then there is no conflict from her missing the train, everything works in her favor and it was just a way to have them sharing a room. Also, there is the fact that Mia seemed to have an unlimited bank account, from buying expensive specific leotards without batting an eye to ordering whatever the person next to her ordered just so she can feel like a fancy Parisian lady.

I enjoyed the ballet aspects of the book and it would have been more interesting to read about that and to have seen Mia’s friendship with the other characters develop instead of focusing so heavily on the romance of two characters with no chemistry who seemed only attracted to the other for their looks.

I really wanted to love this book, but I do feel that a younger audience might enjoy it.

Major Emily In Paris vibes from this book! This book transported you to Paris, an is the perfect form of escapism everyone could use right now!