3,5/5 stars

what a cute book!

Filled to the brim with delicious pastries, beautiful sights, and extremely attractive men, this book has everything you need for a light read.

Mia is a sixteen year old ballet dancer who dreams of being hired by American Ballet Theater in New York City. When she gets the special opportunity to dance at an elite summer program with one of the top ballet companies in Europe, she hops on a flight so she can finally achieve her dreams of becoming a principal dancer. She was expecting good food, lots of dancing, and hopefully a company contract at the end of the six weeks but what she didn't expect was.... Louis. As time goes on and their relationship grows, will Louis still be a part of Mia's life when the 6 weeks are over or will dance be the only thing on her mind?

Ok, so this book was literally written for me. As a current "bunhead" dancing in NYC who's first summer intensive was with the Opéra national de Paris, this felt like a magical retelling of my life in 2014.....except I never met a hot french guy, I got called an obnoxious american by my music teacher (who was from California and moved to France later btw) because I danced like one (um hello I trained in the US of course I dance like an american), and cried on the eiffel tower after the elevator was broken and we had to go down the stairs.
My own sad story aside, this book allowed me to experience the trip to Paris I always dreamed of having. The author truly captured the essence of France and the romance was so sweet. Mia's view on the different Dega paintings and just the way she described how she felt about Paris was so thoughtful. I really liked her character and how you could watch her grow throughout the novel. Louis was good. He was a great guy but I just felt there wasn't too much depth with character. However, I do realize that this book is just meant to be a feel good type thing that you can read really quickly so I wasn't expecting much. He was super sweet and he definitely had some good aspects to his character I just wish he could've been developed a bit more. I really liked how the author portrayed ballet. It's such a competitive career with so many ups and downs. It can be really easy to focus on the negative and how difficult it is to succeed in that environment so I liked that she took a step back and focused on what makes ballet beautiful and that is passion.

Overall, I really liked this book. It's super lighthearted and definitely something you can share with a younger crowd.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Kisses and Croissants - 4 stars

SPOILERS!!

Center stage (movie) meets Sarah Dessen with a side of mystery. After Mia didn't get accepted into her dream Ballet summer program, she applies and gets into a six-week summer program in Pairs. Her grandmother always tells her that dancing is in her blood and a famous artist painted her ancestors. She gives Mia her family members' number and tells her to find them. Mia is excited to be in Pairs until she realizes not only is her ache rival here, Audry, but she is also her roommate and is a full level above her. This year the summer program will be performing Swan Lake, and after the day's first lessons, Mia has pulled aside and learns she has been moved up a full level by Monsieur Dabrowski. Group 5, of course, requires a different uniform that she must have by tomorrow morning. Mia rushes out of the ballet studio and runs into Louis (Monsieur Dabrowki son) out front, the most handsome man she has ever seen. Louis helps her get her new uniform. They keep bumping into each other and go on adventures to try and find if her ancestors were, in fact, painted by a famous ballet artist. She meets some of her family, falls in love, finds out that the great ballet artist, in fact, drew her ancestors (with the help of Louis, of course), Finds out Louis was support to meet another girl on the day they met, gets the part in Swan lake that she wants, Tells Louis he has no passions, shows Audry how to have fun, plays the black swan beautifully, makes friends with her ache rival, gets an audition at ABA after the final performance, Sees Louis painted of her (OMG OMG SO CUTE). In the end, she GETS HIT BY A CAR and breaks her collar bone. I honestly want to throw my kindle across the room. Mia finally gets everything she has ever wanted, and it's taken away from here in seconds. Thankfully the author tied up all the loose strings. In the end, she moves to pairs to be with Louis and dance there. This is such a rom-com that you can't put down. It makes you want to fall in love in pairs with lots and lots and LOTS of buttery bread.

Favorite Quote:
"Love is like a ballet in that way; to be worth it, it has to be painful at times. exquisitely so."

I was provided this book for free for my honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley, and the publishers for this book.

I’m always excited to read books set in Europe with hot leading men, so I was thrilled to receive a free ARC of Kisses and Croissants from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I wasn’t entirely pulled into this book like I had hoped to be, and I didn’t really relate to the main character Mia at all, but overall it was a cute, fluffy read. I didn’t feel like the story flowed as well as it could have, and I would have loved more “showing” and less “telling” of the plot, but if all you’re looking for is a light, easy read then Kisses and Croissants is the perfect book for you.

Ever since I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. Anything about a girl going to Paris and ballet, I want that book in my hands ASAP. There's something so magical and romantic about books abroad, so I just couldn't wait to dig into this one.

The characters were fantastic, and I especially loved the main character, Mia and Louis, they are so cute!
Kisses and Croissants was just an all around absolute blast, and I can't wait to get my hands on the author's next book!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/ Delacorte Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau writes an amazing novel that will capture you from the very beginning with a beautiful story set in Paris about an American ballerina. I loved how vividly the city was described and how despite having a grueling ballet schedule to manage, the main character Mia was able to enjoy all Paris has to offer. I have always loved dance books and movies since I took ballet as a kid, and Kisses and Croissants did not disappoint! It was really rewarding to see how hard Mia worked and paying off for her. I especially enjoyed seeing the relationship between her and her rival Audrey blossom. A beautiful outcome always makes a book even more charming.

Mia’s relationship with Louis makes you want to fall in love as Louis was just the right mix of charming and believable teenage boy. Their chemistry was great, their relationship had its ups and downs, and I liked how Mia had to learn how to balance different elements of her life after being so used to focusing on ballet all the time. Anne-Sophie did an amazing job making all her characters relatable.

This novel is truly amazing and one I could not put down. Make sure to put it on your must-read list this year as the book is a lovely breath of fresh air. It is the perfect summer adventure for anyone looking to get swept away in the City of Love during a time we are unable to travel.

Are you feeling down about not being able to travel these days? Then you should read this book! It was like taking a mini vacation to Paris. I adored how vividly the city was described, and how much the main character, Mia, gets around despite having a grueling ballet schedule to manage as well. As a former ballet kid, I always love dance books and movies, and this one did not disappoint! It was really satisfying to see how hard Mia worked and to see that paying off for her, and I especially enjoyed the relationship between her and her rival. And speaking of relationships, Louis was just the right mix of of charming suitor and believable teenage boy. The chemistry was great, their relationship had its ups and downs, and I liked how Mia had to learn how to balance different elements of her life after being so used to zeroing in on ballet all the time. This book was a lovely breath of fresh air, and I highly recommend it!

Personally, I thought this book was completely charming. You don't find that many books about dance, and the opportunity to read a novel that features this alongside a gorgeous description of setting and atmosphere was an absolute treat. Make sure to check this out when it's released in April!

Quick summary: Mia, a young ballerina, gets the insanely cool opportunity to spend the summer studying her art in Paris. While many think of Paris as the city of love, Mia is solely focused on using every chance she gets to advance her ballet skill and attain her dreams of attending ABT. That is, of course, until she happens upon a handsome Parisian boy all set for adventure. In this adorable tale, Mia takes on grumpy roommates, challenging instructors, a family mystery, and a short at first love.

Kisses and Croissants was meant to be a really cute coming of age story about Mia, a ballerina who is visiting France for a summer ballet program and finds love!

Sadly, I found no relation to Mia personally. I felt she had a very immature view of the world which made her hard to like (for me at least). The love story was cute... and I liked that the love story wasn't the sole focus of the book.

It is a light and fluffy tale wrapped up in a concise bow... which isn't a bad thing. We all need a little happiness sometimes

Mia is a teenager with a dream. For her whole life Mia has worked day in a day out to become the best ballerina she can be. Her grandma was also a ballerina and as far as she knows dancing is in her blood. This summer Mia is going to France to be part of an elite Ballet school. While she is there Mia meets a charming French boy and the two of them set out to discover just how far back her families ballerina roots go.

This story is sweet. I loved the parts of the French culture that were ingrained in the story as well as some French words and phrases. A bit predictable but I still enjoyed it!

Before we get into my first review of the new year, I have to thank NetGalley and the publishers over at Delacorte Press for giving me an ARC of this one in exchange for an honest review. Kisses and Croissants is a contemporary novel about a girl going after her dream. Mia has always known that ballet is in her blood and when she gets accepted to a prestigious summer program in Paris she’s out to prove herself right. But when the most romantic city in Europe takes hold she struggles to have it all. Kisses and Croissants comes out on April 6th.

I saw this book and immediately requested it. If 2020 was going to take travel away from me, I was going to get it back through books. And I was so excited to explore Paris with Mia and Louis. A lot of the places they managed to visit in her weekends between grueling dance practices were places I had been to once before so it brought back a lot of fond memories. I also enjoyed the whole ballet world that we got introduced to and the friends that Mia makes there. If anything I wish we had gotten more from the ballet side of the story. I don’t know if it’s because we spent so much time away from it thanks to the budding romance with Louis or the family mystery Mia is set to explore, but I could have used a couple more scenes set in Mia’s classes.

The thing that took away from the novel the most for me actually has little to do with the novel itself. As a 31 year old, I’m not really the intended audience for YA novels and most of the time it’s fine. But every once in a while I read a novel and it smacks me in the face all over again that I’m no long the intended audience for the genre. I think the places I saw that the most with this one were the moments when she threw caution to the wind and put her relationship with Louis or getting to the bottom of her family mystery ahead of her ballet. And that’s really not a negative mark against the book, but it did put a bit of a damper on my enjoyment.

I think this is a fun and fast paced novel for anyone trying to escape quarantine via books. It’s also great for people who’ve been to Paris before and can spot some familiar places in the novel.

I enjoyed this book, just didn't love it like I had hoped. The story was cute and the ballet and the scenery of the book were well done, the main characters were fun at times, and a little dry at other times. It was a sweet book with some nice moments, just not a favorite overall for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A charming novel about a young American dancer who's been accepted to a prestigious summer ballet program in Paris. The book is a rich immersion in Paris and ballet, with an intriguing family mystery and careful threads about friendship and ambition.

<b> Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. </b>

<i> ooh la la! <u> J'adore </u> ce livre!! </i>

I <b> LOVE </b> anything française. I've taken four years of French, but I've never read a YA novel set in France, so you can bet your baguettes I jumped at the chance to read this novel. Let me tell you, it made me <i> très heureuse </i>. If you love anything French, you will love this story. If not, this story is sure to make you fall in love with the city of love.

<img src="https://media4.giphy.com/media/AMKSRvfLEwXlu/200.gif">

[Just like sweet Remi].

Seriously though, in addition to having a storyline as sweet as <i> mousse du chocolat, </i> the descriptions of the streets of Paris were beautiful; I could almost smell the scent of freshly baked croissants wafting through the pages. Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau is a fantastic storyteller.

I adored Mia and Louis and gladly accompanied them on their adventures, riding on the back of Louis' Vespa and slowly falling in love. I wish I could convey to you how absolutely <i> mignon </i> this book is, but I'd rather you just find out for yourself. ;)

<i> Bonne lecture! </i>

This book was just beyond sweet in every single way. It combined my love for Paris, ballet and a sweet coming of age romance. I loved it so much! The visual scenery of Paris was described so well, I felt like I was walking the streets with Mia. I also loved her strong aspiration of becoming a professional ballerina. It surely cannot be an easy path and I think the author described it with such grace and clarity. Cute, sweet and very French Louis certainly made the story even better. Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC.

Schönes Jugendbuch (ya romance)

"Kisses and Croissants" ist ein lockeres und größtenteils heiteres Buch. Im Roman gibt es gleich mehrere zentrale Themen, die da wären: Liebesgeschichte, Familienbeziehungen, Träume plus für diese Opfer bringen sowie erwachsen werden. Die Balance zwischen den verschiedenen Themen wurde gut getroffen. Schön ist auch, dass die Themen nicht nebeneinander gestanden haben, sondern miteinander verwoben waren.

Sicherlich hätte man bei ein paar der Themen mehr in die Tiefe gehen und auch sich ernster mit der Thematik auseinandersetzen können, dabei denke ich z.B. an die psychischen und physischen Anforderungen. die der Beruf Ballerina an eine 16 jährige stellt. Das hätte allerdings nur bedingt zum Rest des Romans und des Grundtons der Geschichte gepasst, deshalb fand ich es ok, dass die Autorin manche Sachen nur kurz erwähnte oder in ihrer Darstellung abmilderte.

Das Buch ist eines, in dem sich die Geschichte recht flott entwickelt. Auch ist immer etwas los und es kommt keine Langeweile auf. Durch die Beschreibungen im Buch hatte ich teils das Gefühl, wirklich in Paris zu sein, was natürlich super war.

Die Charaktere waren durch die Bank interessant und durchaus vielschichtig, zu meinen absoluten Lieblingscharakteren gehören sie aber nicht.

Beim Lesen habe ich mich sehr gut unterhalten gefühlt und auch öfters gelacht, was immer ein gutes Zeichen ist. Wer einen flotten, Gute-Laune-Jugendroman sucht, könnte bei "Kisses and Croissants" an der richtigen Stelle sein. 4 Sterne.

Loved, loved, loved this charming book! It was the perfect romantic jaunt through Paris to get me through this isolating year. If I can't actually visit Paris, certainly reading about it is the next best thing. I was utterly delighted by Mia, Louis, Mia's family, and their stories. Plus, I love any story about ballet. I really can't say enough good things about it. Cannot wait to see what Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau does next!

Listen, it's hard to not love a book about kisses and croissants. And Paris. This book goes down like a confection. It's a bit predictable, and the summary basically tells you the whole plot, but sometimes you need something this easy-going. Mia is a flawed protagonist (not too deep), but Louis is light and lovely. I can see many of my teenage girl students (especially ballerinas) really enjoying this. I wish the rivalry between two girls wasn't played up so much--I am a bit weary of this trope--but there's a lot of pretty scenery and French to brighten your mood.

Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau’s YA debut is a delightful and delicious YA romance, a wonderful way to slip away and explore Paris, the world of ballet and first love.

Aspiring ballerina Mia arrives in Paris for a summer intensive, ready to prove herself to the world, and ABT, that she’s destined to become a member of one of the top ballet companies in the world.

But life and Paris have other plans, and in addition to her classes, Mia finds herself enamored by the City of Lights, a family ballet mystery, and a handsome young man.

This book is as delicious as a fresh croissant and as exciting as a first kiss!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for making this delightful Arc available to me

This was a fun, light read that you can easily get through In a weekend! I loved the characters and the romantic setting of the story.

Great story and loved the slight romance. Really enjoyed the characters and how the plot moved and how the characters changed throughout the book. I would read this author again.