To put it simply, this book was cute. It was a little cliche here and there and I was frankly okay with it. But then the ending came and it was very dramatic (maybe even a bit tragic) and I found myself much more engrossed in reading.
For a book about ballet and summer romance, the Parisian setting was on point! The atmosphere was very dreamy, almost fantastical in a sense and I loved exploring the French streets with Mia! The best bit was certainly the art scavenger hunt and the time it took to unravel this family history that is so essential to Mia's belief in herself!
The romance was, again, cute. It is as all summer romances go, quick and fun! It came with its up and down, its excitements and heartbreaks, and while the "I love yous" might have come to quickly for my tastes, I still found it entertaining.
I came for ballet and I got ballet greatness! I loved reading about the passion, experience and dedication it takes to perform onstage and evoke sentiments with body language. Ballet is in a sense very serious and I liked that this book showed that while also pointing out how important it is to not lose sense of fun and love for dance.
Where this book fell flat was character development, both in the mains and sides. Everyone was very one-dimensional which made my experience lack some luster. There was definitely an attempt at showing growth between two characters that were very much opposites and grew to be more harmonious. However, that was really the only growth we got to see throughout the book. Others fell flat and surface level.

Overall, this is a sweet summer romance. It was all about passion and adventure in the streets and stages of Paris!

This was actually quite adorable. Ballet books have been something I have been really enjoying lately and one that takes place in Paris with a summer romance? Adorable. It didn’t fully achieve what I had thought it would, as some parts were a little predictable, but it was still a feel-good cutesy summer romance book set in France. Mia, Louis, and Audrey were all great characters and I really enjoyed the storyline of Mia discovering her own family’s legend.

Rating: 3*

First things first, I want to get my biggest complaint off my chest. My complaint is that I feel like any time books like this mention fresh baked goods, the very least the author could do is show up and give you some or messenger some over. I mean really. Where are my croissants? Haha. I jest, I jest. No, but, really it was a charming book that made me want to go to Paris just for the croissants.
Though on a more honest note, I have to say that I had a difficult time writing this review because normally I try to be very strict about not writing about spoilers so that my reviews can be read by prospective readers without giving anything away. In this case, however, I found I just wasn’t able to write a full and honest review without addressing a major spoiler at the end of the book because it colored the rest of the book for me and affects my rating as much as it does.
So SPOILERS AHEAD but I had very much been enjoying the book. As an admirer of French culture, a former ballet student, an art lover, and a connoisseur of baked goods and contemporary young adult romance, this book was ticking off a lot of boxes for me. It was light and it was lovely while having some great surprises inside that I enjoyed more than I thought I would and then OKAY LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK FOR SPOILERS, I MEAN IT THIS TIME
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SPOILER
...just as I thought the novel was wrapping up, Mia gets into a car accident and her chances at auditions are dashed and her relationship with Luis is complicated and it’s all kinda scrapped for a bit for this big dramatic wrench and it just felt unnecessary to me. It felt like drama for drama’s sake and ultimately only served as just another hurdle to happiness that didn’t feel earned or deserved. Like this had been a fairly light book and then suddenly here’s this big weighty serious thing smashing in at the eleventh hour and it felt inappropriate. And considering the fact that Mia recovers and ends up accepted to a program after all (and within like 5% of the book) and gets with Luis and Paris, it just felt especially unneeded and made it all even less satisfying to me. I thought it would have been more interesting, narratively speaking, for her to end up at ABT with Audrey and continue to bloom that lovely friendship. I also liked how the New York plan involved Luis pursuing his art and him being the one to compromise and grow to be with her instead of Mia ending up where he happens to live. I know I’m just nitpicking and not all endings are going to make everyone happy, but it just felt unsatisfying. Like someone thought that the original ending was too boring and wanted to jazz it up but it just felt unnecessary and convoluted to me and completely out of left field and out of the spirit of the rest of the book.
The rest of the book was a solid 4 star and enjoyable time. I loved the Degas mystery, i loved Audrey and Mia becoming friends and I loved all the ballet bits but the plot and the ending in some bits just missed the mark for me and left me disappointed.

A ballerina in Paris?! What else could you ask for?
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.

My first thought about Mia was that she was just full of joy and passion. She was a wonderful character to see. However, on Louis' character, I felt like there was little character development and often times found him boring and overdone. However, he clearly liked Mia, so that was enough for a cute contemporary.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend to younger readers.

Mia has spent her whole life dancing, hoping to one day live up to her family legend of being a famous ballerina. When she is shockingly accepted to a prestigious dance school in France for a summer program after being rejected by ABC she is overjoyed. Mia had no idea that her summer would be so busy, between juggling dancing, a secret budding new romance and investigating her family's claim about a famous artist.

This was cute and light and fun, the perfect escapism read for a sunny day. There was lots of dancing and dancing related drama, there was regular friend and boy drama, mild family drama, talk of delicious food (my favorite part of any book!), descriptions of Paris, romance and secrets, and a light mystery aspect of the book. I will say my absolute favorite part was the slow development of a great friendship, one very unexpected but so perfect, from enemies to total support and I am so here for more of this kind of bond between girls.

Kisses and Croissants is very much the story of a girl finding herself and her true passion, proving that following your heart and staying true to yourself can take you great places. This was a story about love, friendship, perseverance, dance and discovery, happily ever afters and happily ever startings.

I'll be honest -- I struggled with this book. I find reading YA in my late 20s can be hit or miss for me. Sometimes it feels nostalgic and the struggles resonate and sometimes I find myself wondering if all teenagers are as annoying as the characters in the book.

This book fell into the latter category for me. From the very first chapter I just didn't "click" with the characters. and found myself skimming just to finish.

It was cute but I guess just not for me -- which is fine! I'm no longer a young adult! I'd recommend it to teens.

Kisses and Croissants is a super cute YA following Mia who travels to Paris for a summer ballet program. But, ballet isn’t the only thing that Paris is offering her.

This book features:
🩰 Lots of ballet
👯‍♀️ Some great friendships
🥰 A summer fling with an adorable grand gesture
👵🏼 Unraveling a family mystery about an ancestor

I will say that while this felt slow at first, and it felt like we only saw glimpses of the romance, it did pick up towards the end!

If you’re a fan of YA, you enjoy dancing, and are looking for something quick and fun, with a side of romance, then I’d recommend it to you! 😊

Thank you to the publisher and the author for gifting this eARC to me in exchange for my honest review.

This was just the sweetest YA and exactly the escape I needed. Full of croissants, Degas, ballet, Paris, love, family mysteries, and friendships—what’s not to love?

Mia is 17 and lives in Westchester. Ballet is her life, it’s in her blood. There are even rumors that her great-grandmother is in one of Degas’ paintings, and danced at the Opéra National de Paris. So when Mia is accepted into the prestigious summer ballet school in Paris, she just knows this is her destiny coming to fruition.

When she arrives in Paris she is greeted by her rival from back home. They’ve never been friendly, and of course, OF COURSE, she would be here too. But an unlikely friendship forms over the weeks, and they realize they have more in common than they thought.

There’s also romance in the air as Mia meets the cute son of her ballet school director. But will he lead her astray and steal focus from what she’s here to do, or give her the adventure of a lifetime?

I definitely recommend this one, it’s the perfect getaway without leaving home.

Follow these up and coming ballerinas as they navigate life in France. The description is so rich you will feel like you’re enjoying a chocolate croissant right by the Eiffel Tower with them. Set in the highly competitive world of professional dancing, we follow Mia as she navigates this new territory far away from home. Mia knows exactly what she wants and after obtaining a place in the French summer ballet programs, she hopes to audition for a professional company. However, landing in the city of love she’s taken in by the new and chic atmosphere. Mia wants to enjoy her summer but will it come at a high price? I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of any ballet rom coms as it definitely brings all those feels.

Mia is an American teenager who has the chance of a lifetime to participate in an elite summer ballet program in France. What else could she ask for? Nothing could distract her.. except for Louis. You know the stereotypical prince charming we all imagine awaiting for a summer abroad?

This book definitely put the young in young adult. It's more appropriate for teenagers. It was an easy-to-read story. The mystery wasn't complex enough to draw me in.

It was still a cute book if you want a really easy summer romance.

Kisses and Croissants
4/5⭐️ to Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada and Delacourte Press for an egalley copy to review!
Do you like books about ballet? A summer in Paris? A cute new romance? Need a sweet book that will get you out of a reading slump? Then Kisses and Croissants is the book for you! Sure, it doesn’t go too deep in terms of the themes or writing, shows mainly the romantic & touristy side of Paris, and can be a little on the cheesy side. But for what it was, I found it to be the perfect fluffy summer escape read! We follow Mia, a very talented teenage ballerina who earns a spot at the most prestigious ballet school in Paris. When she starts her program (they end up doing a production of Swan Lake!), she quickly realizes it will take all her energy, concentration, and time. Mia is also looking into a family legend, that a many-times-great-grandmother was in one of Dega’s paintings. Not only that, but she soon runs into a very cute boy who starts showing her around Paris and offers to help her look into her family’s history. Mia soon feels torn between the two. What will she decide to do? Can she figure out a way to make everything work?
I found Mia & Louis’ date scenes were very adorable & romantic! I loved how he was willing and excited to help her figure out her family’s history, and he was super sweet. I felt they had a pretty good chemistry, and I was invested in their relationship! Also very fun were the ballet and dance scenes...they definitely built the atmosphere of the story as well as added to a bit of intensity in terms of the decisions Mia must make. These ballet and school scenes also introduced themes of giving people more than just a first impression. Mia is very competitive with another girl in her level who she has to room with, but through working together for the Ballet production, they find a connection, respect, and friendship.

If this sounds at all like something you’d enjoy, check out Kisses & Croissants this summer!

This book is very cute. Mia has grown up believing that ballet is in her blood. All of the women in her family have danced, and there is even a legend that there is a forgotten Degas painting depicting one of her ancestors, lost to history. So when she gets the chance to go Paris for a summer ballet program, she makes sure she is there–even if it means being with her nemesis for six weeks.

Mia goes back and forth trying to decide if she’s able to balance ballet and auditioning for a company with having a love life…because she’s already met Louis, the perfect Paris boy. And Louis is very, very into the lost Degas painting. He and Mia spend all of their free time trying to hunt it down.

There is a lot of food, like wow, so much food. Do not read while hungry. These descriptions will make you drool. There are the croissants of course, but also ice cream, other pastries, baguettes.

Where this book really shines though, is in the ballet. I love books about dancing–as soon as I see those first ballet moves and phrases it takes me right back to the barre. It’s been a minute since I laced up a pair of pointe shoes, but this stuff is stuck in my head forever.

You know what they talk about a lot in this book? Fouette turns. Fouettes were always my favorite because you kind of throw one leg around to help you turn and you can go really fast. But if you don’t already know what they look like, they’re hard to imagine.

And they talk about them a lot.

Like, a lot.

Like, so much.

I used to be able to do, like, maybe ten fouettes in a row. In this book, Mia has to get up to THIRTY-TWO!

So here’s my one-line review: Not a favorite, but very, very cute.

Kisses & Croissants is a sweet summer romance between two teenagers in Paris.

Mia is accepted to an elite summer ballet program in Paris, and she recognizes that this is the chance to fulfill her dream to become a professional ballerina and have an audition with the American Ballet Theater in NY. Dancing is in her blood; it was said that her ancestor was painted by Degas. When Mia arrives in Paris, of course, her rival ballerina nemesis, Audrey, was also accepted to the program and to make it even worse for Mia, they are roommates!

Mia, leaving the dance program on the first day, meets Louis, a ridiculously cute French teenager. Will this cute boy distract her from her dreams?

This book was so adorably cute and I just couldn't put it down! The childhood ballerina in me loved every moment of the rehearsals, dancing, and performances. Jouhanneau truly captured the emotional roller coaster of being a ballerina and trying to be the best in the dance world. This book definitely had the Love & Gelato series vibes! I will absolutely be recommending this book to my students who wish to have a fun, light, romance (but appropriate for students) read. Great summer reading book!

a YA romance set in my favorite city? Yes please! It has all the components of a sweet YA novel - family struggles, discovery of ones self, new friendships, and a dreamy love interest. You’ll get all the highlights of Paris in one sitting. I was definitely in my happy place!

I’d recommend if you like...
💜 forbidden romance, French accents, French pastries
📚Anna and the French kiss
📺center stage, Emily in Paris, passport to Paris
🎧enchanted by TSwift

I was so excited to read Kisses and Croissants – the cover art is adorable and the description reminded me of a long time YA favorite Anna and the French Kiss. The book did not disappoint and delivered a lovely light, fun summer romance book that takes in place in Paris! So if you are feeling a longing for travel, or love books that feature ballet and romance – I definitely recommend picking up a copy.

It reminded me a bit of Anna and the French Kiss meets the movie Center Stage. This was my first by the author, but I hope it won’t be my last – I look forward to seeing what she releases next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte press for the chance to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

This is a very cute and fun YA contemporary romance. I really like the characters and the plot. The romance was adorable, I loved the paris setting, The writing was great, I felt connected and invested in the story. I read this super fast. I feel like I just flew through this book. Overall I had a great time and would recommend if your wanting a cute and fluffy read.

While there is nothing really new or surprising in this YA romance, that doesn't mean that it isn't charming and well-constructed. Mia is an aspiring ballerina who hopes that a summer ballet program will land her an apprenticeship with American Ballet Theatre that will be a gateway to the rest of her career. Despite her mother's doubts about her love of dance, and the presence of her main rival (and assigned roommate!) Audrey, she is determined to make the most of her summer. But distractions abound: from a family mystery to the possibilities of a summer fling with French teenager Louis. As the summer progresses, Mia must make choices about where her ambitions and priorities really lie. Jouhanneau is thoughtful about presenting the choices that Mia must make with her friends and her dance, and excels at including atmospheric bits of Paris in the narrative. There's a somewhat startling twist in the final act, and yet, this worked well for me.

"Because croissants are like kisses. You don't fully 'get' them until you've had them in Paris."

American Mia works hard to achieve her goal of becoming a professional ballerina, so her acceptance into an elite summer ballet program in Paris is a dream come true! Furthermore, it's an opportunity to do research on a piece of family lore: that one of Mia's ballerina ancestors had been painted by Degas. Mia is looking forward to spend her summer dancing, training under some of the best instructors in the world, meeting her French relatives, and getting to sample the best of Parisian culture: food, landmarks, and... boys?

When Mia encounters a cute French boy who helps her in the middle of a leotard-related crisis, the last thing she expected was for him to be the son of the most formidable dance instructor. And she most definitely doesn't expect Louis to keep finding her, to keep wanting to hang out with her, and to show her all that Paris has to offer. But as the summer continues, Mia begins to wonder if she can have it all: her dream of being a ballerina, and the boy who has stolen her heart.

A beautiful and sweet summer romance, filled with drama, cute moments, and amazing descriptions of dance, art, and food, "Kisses and Croissants" is a delightful read for all ages!

I loved this book so much! The beautiful Paris setting, the developing female friendships, the ballet descriptions, the French language and cultural details, and the emerging romance with Mia’s ballet instructor's son Louis make this a book I’d highly recommend to YA fiction readers.

I loved the female protagonist, Mia; she was driven and confident and I admired her passion for her craft. I also really enjoyed how the book deals with the run up to ’the first kiss’ with the boy you like - it reminded me of when I was a teenager when that sort of thing was a BIG deal.

A definite must-read for YA, ballet and romance lovers!

I couldn’t resist this book on so many levels: a summer in Paris, ballet dancing, mysterious rumors about a Degas painting, and of course a whirlwind romance. It didn’t take me long to read through the whole thing. In fact I ended up staying up far too late one night, telling myself, “just one more chapter” all the way until the end. I loved the way the relationships developed– especially the friendship between Mia and Audrey. But I also loved the relationship between Mia and her teacher (not a romantic relationship) as well as the one between Mia and her mom.

Reading about ballet was also super fun. One summer when I was a teenager, I went to a professional ballet camp, so it brought back a LOT of memories and I found myself nodding along with some of the things Mia goes through. I felt like it really nailed the whole ballet camp experience. I also loved the way the search for a Degas painting pulled the story forward and tied a lot of the individual pieces– her relationship with ballet, her mom, and her relationship with Louis– together.

The romance between her and Louis was really sweet, too. Having the adventure of finding the painting helped it feel really big and more essential than just hanging out and falling in love. I thought that was super clever the way that played out.

On the whole, I think fans of Jenna Evans Welch, Jennifer E. Smith, and fans of ONE PARIS SUMMER by Denise Grover Swank will love this book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.