Member Reviews
Kisses and Croissants was absolutely heartwarming and delightful! It follows the story of Mia, a ballerina studying for the summer in Paris! She discovers friendship, family secrets, and love during her adventure in France.
This book transported me to the magical city of Paris and left me craving a bon voyage (and a buttery 🥐)! It also had satisfying character complexity and evolving relationships. I’d definitely recommend this quick and cute read!
My goodness, this was cute. And makes me want to go to Paris again!!! The romance was sweet, if a little insta-love-y. I loved Mia's journey with ballet and finding out about her ancestry. Her passion for what she was doing was relatable and inspiring, especially when she hit roadblocks. I also appreciated Mia's relationship with her family, such as her Parisian relatives and her mom. My enjoyment would have been even higher, I think, if the characters had been a little bit more in-depth and had more personality. The writing style was a little up and down for me. I think that I would have enjoyed this story even more if I were just a bit younger. I would definitely recommend this book to teens!
Mia is very excited to be traveling to Paris to take part in a prestigious six week summer ballet program, even when her rival in dance, Audrey is there as well. Of course, the two end up as roommates, but the other dancers are quick to befriend Mia. She is very serious about pursuing ballet as a career, and hopes that her success during the summer will translate into an offer from the American Ballet Theater in New York. Her mother, however, isn't thrilled with any part of her dance journey and lets her know. Mia's grandmother has long believed the family legend that an ancestor of Mia's was a ballerina in Paris at the time of Degas, and was painted by him, although there is no proof. There is an elderly relative in the outskirts of the city whom the grandmother would like Mia to contact. The dance lessons are strenuous, but M. Dabrowski thinks that Mia is advanced enough that he moves her into the fifth level with Audrey. While Audrey is technically perfect, she lacks emotion. Mia has that, but needs to focus more on her form and procedures. What doesn't help this focus is her romance with Louis, who happens to be the son of M. Dabrowski. The two take to each other quickly, and Louis embraces Mia's quest to find out if her ancestor was painted by Degas. This takes them, on his Vespa, to visit the relative, and two several art galleries, museums, and other places. It's an idyllic relationship against the glorious background of Paris, but the late nights and emotional connection do cause Mia problems with her dancing. She has been given the role of Odile, the Black Swan, in the school's production of Swan Lake. Audrey, of course, is the White Swan. She is irritated that Mia is enjoying Paris and not focusing solely on dance. When M. Dabrowski takes Mia to task, she has to reevaluate her relationship with Louis. Mia needs to decide what to do with her future when the summer program and her time in Paris is over. Will Louis be a part of that?
Strengths: Sigh. This is about as perfect as a Young Adult romance can be. Mia is 16, off on her own, but with the support and supervision of a school. Louis is somewhat of a known quality and not just a stranger from the streets of Paris. He admires her work, supports her interests, and understands that the ballet takes a lot of her time. Their adventures are all sweetly romantic, and never get hot and heavy, so this is also great for middle school readers. The back drop of Paris, a city I've never had any interest in visiting, is so appealing that I am half tempted to make travel plans myself. The mystery with the ancestor who might have been painted by Degas gives just enough additional structure to the narrative to make this feel a bit more serious. The brilliant part of the book, of course, is the ballet. I have many students who dance, and so many dance books are desperately sad-- think Porter's Dance of Sisters or Padian's Jersey Tomatoes are the Best. There's some rivalry, but mostly hard work and love of dance. It was particularly interesting that Mia and the other dancers are frequently portrayed eating heartily; so many ballet books deal with eating disorders and body image problems.
Weaknesses: The whole point of having a youthful romance in another country is that you can always think wistfully of what "might have been" with that person. I would have written a different ending. Younger readers will think Mia's life is just perfect.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and this will never get back to the shelf. The cover is so attractive, the story swoon worthy with a bit more depth. Kisses and Croissants is really a croissant of a book. Done right, it's a butter filled, delicious treat that also has enough nutrition to take you through your morning, especially if there's a healthy dollop of Nutella.
Kisses and Croissants is an adorably sweet YA romance that just made my heart truly happy! Full of all the amazing magic Paris has to offer mixed with ballet mixed with love...there's really no greater combination. I did find this more on the juvenile side of YA (the MC is only 16) but this will be perfect for teens and preteens to enjoy over their summer break.
I spent a lot more time anticipating reading this book than I actually enjoyed it. It wasn’t terrible, it just could have been better.
I liked the fact that this book had The Lizzie McGuire movie vibes throughout the whole book. There was the whole touring a city with the boy, and rooming with the enemy going on. And then Mia becomes friends with Audrey and I really liked that bit.
I actually think the story would have been fine without the romance in this instance. Others will probably like this story more, I just happened to lose interest a little quickly on that part.
Kisses and Croissants was just a two star rating for me. It was ok and had potential to be better. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me the chance to read and review this. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was such a cute, fun read! You don't find a lot of stories featuring dance as a main part of the story, and I loved that this book did that. I thought the characters were sweet and fun in this book, and I loved the story setting. The story was well-paced for the most part. I do wish a few of the parts hadn't dragged quite like they were written, but otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. If you want a cute, fun read, this is the book for you! While I enjoyed the characters, the setting of the story is what pulled me in and kept me around. The author did a fabulous job making the setting come to life for the reader, and I loved.
This novel combined three of my favorite things in the whole wide world: ballet, Paris, and YA. Seriously, I could not have asked for a more ME combination for a book. I feel like this novel was <i>Anna and the French Kiss</i> meets <i>Dance Academy</i> in the very best way possible. Seriously, some of the moments in this felt VERY <i>Dance Academy</i> but I actually really loved that.
So as someone who has danced my whole life AND lived in Paris, I am SUPER picky about ballet books and Paris books. If I start a novel and it’s obvious that the novel is written by someone who isn’t a dancer or has no experience with dance, I quickly give up on it. But the author definitely knew her stuff and wrote about ballet with expertise. In the same way, her knowledge of Paris was flawless. She did such a good job of matching Mia’s wonder and tourist-y-ness, with Louis’ Parisian savvy. I could follow all of her walks around the city with the warmth of my own memories of similar walks around Paris. Obviously, it helped that the author was French! But I also liked that despite being French, she did such a good job of capturing the experience of “kinda being able to speak French in Paris but then getting stressed and accidentally falling into English.”
I also totally loved the situation between Audrey and Mia. When I first saw the “mean ballet girl nemesis” character show up, I felt disappointed that it would be such a ballet book cliche where Audrey would eventually sabotage Mia’s opportunities or betray her or turn on her. BUT IT DIDN’T HAPPEN. Instead, the girls lift each other up and become friends and this is the girls supporting girls energy I want to see in 2021.
I REALLY really REALLY loved this ARC. I read it in like 24 hours and I kinda want to read it again. Obviously this book might not be a 5 star read for everyone, but it honestly felt like someone wrote this for me because it had all my favorite things and it was SO well done!
so super charming it weirdly reminds me of to all the boys I've loved before x high school musical in Paris? but I've got a lot to say on this arc :D
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for letting me review this eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own!
the good:
- most of the characters were lovable and enjoyable (i quite liked mia and especially Audrey)
- the growing friendship between mia and Audrey was a great arc for both their characters
- the character growth from mia as she figured out her priorities and got to know herself better!!
- a lot of descriptions of Paris/the scenery (I'm mostly hit or miss with intense location-dropping in a book but I didn't mind it here! it would have been a fun book to read in Paris and go to all the spots they went to!)
- the ending! I quite enjoyed it and it was a solid conclusion to the book. very satisfying and it doesn't leave you confused or wishing it went another way (at least for me)
the not-my-favorite:
- Louis was sort of a 2-D character for most of the book, I didn't really love or hate him but his character arc fell sort of flat for me
- the insta love wasn't my favorite (it never has been) but if you're into the insta-love trope I would give it a shot! one of the better insta-love books I've read
- I would have loved to see more friendship between mia and the other dancers (especially with Audrey)
- I know this is a book about mia's whirlwind romance in France BUT I would have loved to see more dancing scenes, especially around the swan lake performance we really didn't get to see much
all in all, this was a pretty good book! it was a really quick cute read, and it's exciting to watch all the characters explore Paris together.
YA is not my usual genre but I really enjoyed this book. It was the Paris vacation that I needed and made me want to get on YouTube and watch Swan Lake. There was even a little twist at the end I did not see coming. The book was the perfect combination of Paris magic, young love, and ballet! I loved how the author took us around the city, enjoying all of the sites and tastes and smells that Paris has to offer. Any Francophile would love this sweet story of Mia, a high school student, who is in Paris for a six-week summer intensive ballet program at the Paris Opera. Mia's dream is to work hard enough to receive an invitation for an audition to ABT at the end of the program, but her dream is slightly derailed by the appearance of a young French boy, Louis. who acts as Mia' Paris tour guide, showing her there's more to a summer in Paris than just ballet.
I highly recommend this book and I'm grateful to the author and the publisher for the advanced copy.
~Kisses and Croissants~
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3.5/5 stars
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I’m studying abroad in France over the summer so I thought this would be the perfect story to daydream over and imagine myself in the protagonists shoes! Thanks for approving my request on Netgalley!
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Pros:
+Paris is such a romantic setting I love it
+CUTE PARISIAN BOYS do I need to say anything else?
+I love the ballet! There are references to specific dances that you can easily look up on youtube to get full immersion!
+I like the family ballerina history plot point! Picturing the Degas paintings is so fun
+Character growth!!!! Female friendships!!!!
+Perfect summer read
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Cons:
-Lying or hiding of a relationship is just never cute imo
-The main conflict is a little intense. Like i saw it coming but the intensity needed to dial down like 5 notches
-Did not like the random plot twist at the end but c’est la vie
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Overall I enjoyed this! I think it would be the perfect book to read sitting in the shade on a sunny summer day. It’s romantic. It’s french. It’s such a fun read!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Mia is a high school student dropped in Paris for a ballet apprenticeship. Flustered after a crazy first day, she runs into a gorgeous guy, who helps her get a new leotard, just in the nick of time. Louis, however, turns out to be the son of her most feared dance instructor, which throws some kinks into their budding relationship. The two race around Paris, trying to solve the Mia’s family mystery. When Mia becomes distracted and this starts to jeopardize the only future she’s ever imagined for herself, she must decide if she will continue to follow her dreams, even in spite of what her heart might want.
Kisses & Croissants is an adorable YA novel. It’s fun, light and quickly paced. Some of the things I loved about the book:
•Mia and Louis’s meet cute was the best.
•Experiencing the Paris sights throughout the book. It felt like I was there.
•Louis’ character is incredibly sweet and charming. He goes to great lengths to do anything for Mia!
•Twist toward the end of the book really threw and I loved how unexpected it was.
A few things that bothered me (only a tad):
•The pacing of the relationships felt a bit quick, especially between Mia and Louis.
•I wanted there to be more tension with her rival Audrey. I felt like they came around to each other a tad too quick.
I would definitely recommend this book to any middle school student of mine, especially if they have any interest in dance. Kisses & Croissants was a cute read!
I found this book to be a bit slow paced for my liking and I could not get behind the main character's narrow minded focus on ballet and her determination to believe a fantasized connection between her family and the artist Degas. She comes across as a little too bubbly and naive; almost as if Lizzie Mcguire were set in the dance scene. The story is not bad, it is just too familiar- and I feel as if I've definitely seen the made for tv version... Two ballerinas are pitted against each other, one extremely uptight- the other determined but also the underdog with a smidgen of a social life outside of dance . Mia, clearly the underdog in her own mind, despite continuing to impress or get little critical feedback from the strict instructor. She has to balance a secret boy, her priorities to the summer program she's enrolled in, and her own family apparent lack of enthusiasm for her passion all while playing tourist in Paris.
This book was a light-hearted and fluffy read! ❃
We follow Mia on her summer-long adventure to become a professional ballerina, and see Paris through her eyes. I wanted all of the yummy, delicious pastries. I have never craved a croissant so badly! She meets a French boy named Louis, and they experience a swoony summer romance on his Vespa. But along the way, there are some bumps in the road.. With visiting long-lost family, and searching for art - I can’t wait to one day travel to Paris! Especially to try the ice cream hehe. ❃
Kisses and Croissants
By: Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Random House Children's
Delacorte Press
Romance/Teens and YA
Publish Date April 6, 2021
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This is a cute little story. I did take a little to get into it because I really am not into ballet. I gave it 3 stars.
This is a story about a 17 year old girl who goes to Paris for a summer dance class that is about 6 weeks long. She has audition for this class and gets into level 4 out of 5. This is a tough school and puts her through the ropes but she is hoping at the end that is able to get into the ballet school in New York.
She is surprised when the main instructor decides she is better than her tape showed so she is moved up to the top level. He wants her to prove to him that he made the right decision.
She runs into a young man when she needs to get the proper the clothes for this level. They struck up a friendship and things go from there.
There are a lot of French words but it is translated so you know what is being said which is a good point since I don't know that language.
Mia and Louis ( the young lady and the boy she runs into) go on some adventures together and have fun and makes her wonder if she can have both.
Does she figure out what she wants? Does she get the school that she wants at the end? You will have to read the book to find out.
Going into this all I expected was a cute romance, but I'm glad it ended up being more than that. I'm glad Mia didn't only focus on romance and actually took ballet very seriously. No matter how much she wants to pursue love, ballet will always be her number one. Yeah, she strays from her path here and there, but that's no surprise. Behind the cute romance and friendships, the core of the story was following one's dreams, and I appreciate that message. Overall, this was a nice cute read.
I loved every minute I spent reading Kisses & Croissants! Mia’s story is exactly the positive, sunny, hopeful escapism the YA world needs right now. I loved seeing Paris through Mia's eyes, and it was so refreshing to read about France from a writer who truly knows the country and is a native French speaker. The romance was sweet, and Mia’s shifting friendship with fellow dancer Audrey subverted the 'personal nemesis' stereotype, which really lifted the themes for me. The writing was lovely, energetic and optimistic. I think fans of Stephanie Perkins will fall head over heels for this one!
3.5 Stars
Kisses and Croissants follows Mia, and her summer of making all her dreams come true in Paris. More than anything, Mia wants to be a professional ballerina. It's in her blood. And even though she got rejected from the ABT summer program, she got accepted to the summer program for the Paris Ballet, so she heads off to Paris. Now she just has to find a way to focus on dancing without getting distracted by her ballet rival, or cute boys. Can Mia find time to chase her ballet dreams, while also having a romantic adventure in the city of light?
I found this book to be really cute and fluffy! To start with, it completely transported me to Paris, which was just lovely. It was like getting to take a mini vacation; I loved being immersed in the food and the sights.
I also enjoyed reading about the ballet parts of the book. Being a former dancer, it made me really nostalgic for ballet.
And, I liked Mia's family mystery. I adore Degas, so I totally got where Mia was coming from, and it added a lot of depth to the book.
Finally, I think the best part of the book was Mia's friendships. Even though this book didn't focus too intently on platonic relationships, I really liked the times that focused on Mia spending time with her friends, and I really enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Mia and Audrey as they learned how to work together.
So basically, I liked most of the book. The thing that fell flat for me was the romance. If the book had just been going for "fun summer fling" I would have been totally on board. Louis is swoony enough that I could have gotten swept up in the romance and adventure of it all, but the book tried to make the relationship much deeper. However, I didn't feel enough connection and chemistry between Mia and Louis for me to feel that this was a deep romance. They talked about serious things, and Louis wasn't totally 2 dimensional or anything, but I just didn't feel it. The connection just wasn't there.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one! I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for something fun, and I would certainly read more from this author in the future.
I requested this book because I needed something lighthearted and romantic, and that is exactly what I got. Set in Paris, readers will experience the city along with protagonist Mia, who is there for a summer at a prestigious ballet school. Mia is a very optimistic and loveable character, who is a believable teenager, and doesn’t fall into the typical YA protagonist cave of being either extremely immature or talking as though she is a middle aged English professor. I thought this book had a great cast of characters, though I do wish we got to see them more. There was a lot of describing of the events that Mia attended, and not a lot of readers actually seeing what went on. I think the story would’ve been more interesting if we got to see that, and we would’ve been more attached to the characters if we were given these scenes. Despite this, we get to see friendships forming with new friends and even a formal rival, all while Mia is falling in love with a charming boy she meets outside of her school building. Meanwhile, she is dealing with the stress of her ballet school’s end-of-summer production, and is also attempting to prove a family legend that connects an ancestor with a lost Degas painting. This was fairly predictable, as are most YA romantic comedies, but regardless of that I enjoyed it for the most part. While the writing of the plot maybe lacked some of the depth I was looking for, if you’re looking for a fluffy and romantic book set in a beautiful city with a charismatic and handsome love interest, you’ll love this. As a massive fan of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, I was excited to find another book that had a synopsis that seemed comparable, and I think anyone who was a fan of the Anna series will enjoy this too.
Kisses and Croissants is a wonderful summer read for fans of YA. It was so enjoyable to read about Mia and her friends in dreamy Paris. The descriptions made me feel like I was really there alongside Mia and her crush, Louis, exploring quaint cafés and Parisian landmarks. This book makes me want to read more stories about ballerinas; it was so interesting to learn more about the ballet culture.
I appreciated seeing the friendship between Mia and Audrey develop throughout the story, which at times I enjoyed more than the romantic plot surprisingly! The coming-of-age themes would be especially meaningful for readers in high school preparing for the next step in life. It captures the fear of newfound independence, but also the excitement of new opportunities.
I do wish the story had more dialogue. At times, it felt like things were glossed over whereas I would have rather experienced them fully. Throughout the book there was a lot of telling rather than showing, which kept me at an arms length from the characters. I especially would have appreciated more time spent on Mia and her new friends.
Overall, I enjoyed this quick, fun coming-of-age story! You’ll want to eat all the croissants while reading, so have some at the ready!
I think this book would be perfect for preteens, and admittedly my dislike for this book was due to me not being in that age group. Otherwise I think this a cute, perhaps a little cheesy, but still adorable book. Perfect for fans of “Anna and the Frenchkiss”.