As an ex-ballet dancer (albeit, one who only took ballet for 2 years as a toddler, haha!), a self-proclaimed Frankophile, and a lover of YA romances, this book felt like it was written for me!

Mia Jenrow was such a fun character to follow. While I couldn't relate too much to her ballet struggles (as, again, I dropped ballet as a toddler), I truly felt all of the stress and anxiety she was shouldering on a personal level.

Louis was a super-loveable LI as well! I especially loved how supportive he was of Mia. Lastly, I really enjoyed the whole mystery regarding the family legend that Mia's "too-many-greats-to-count-grandmother once danced for the Paris Opera and was painted by Degas himself." It was really nice to see Mia take an interest in exploring her family history, as geneology is a big passion of mine.

If you're looking for a YA book that's INFINITELY better than Anna & the French Kiss, or just something to tie you over after falling in love with Emily in Paris, definitely be sure to check out Kisses & Croissants ASAP!

This book was fantastic! I loved the romance in it but also the whole finding yourself plot. It was really well done.

Kisses and Croissants is an absolutely adorable YA book! I quickly got caught up following Mia as she worked toward her dancing dreams. She needs to find a balance between practicing, falling for a cute French guy, exploring Paris, delicious food, and solving a family mystery. What's not to love? It made me want to travel and see Paris even more! I would recommend this book if you want a fun YA adventure and romance in Paris!

Thank you, Delacorte Press, for this complimentary copy in exchange for my review.

This was just the sweetest book, and I absolutely loved it. It was exactly what I needed right now. This book had me dreaming of eating warm croissants and watching a ballet in Paris. The descriptions in the book had me feeling like I was there with the characters.

Right from the start of the book I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down. I thought Mia and Louis were such great characters. They were so cute, and I was dying to see what would happen between them. It was the perfect teenage romance, I loved it. If you’re looking for a quick and cute YA read, I highly recommend checking this one out!

As cute as this book sounded… I did not know enough about Paris, French, or ballet to fully immerse myself into the story.

I found myself really rooting for this relationship though. I was also very worried about the consequences of it. Which means I was really annoyed by how her instructor checked her about having a summer fling over one missed step. I get it that it’s high stakes but one tiny mistake is not a career ruiner.

It all came together in the end though! Even tho I had no idea what any place looked like other than vague ideas on Paris architecture and absolutely no idea what these ballet moves looked like. I was very happy to see my ship sail in the end and even happier for Mia’s dreams to come true.

I bet someone who knows more about ballet and Paris would love this book.

2.75 stars.
This is a story about an aspiring ballet dancer named Mia who goes to Paris for a summer dance program. She's rooming with her nemesis but hoping to get into ABT by the end of the program. She meets a boy named Louis and tries to balance a summer fling with her dancing. I was actually more interested in Mia's dancing and her slow budding friendship than with Louis. It's your standard YA romance that isn't anything special. There were the standard ups and downs that came with the rigorous demands of being a ballet dancer and I actually wish there was a little more.
As for the twist, I hate that I guessed it before it happened. Like...20 pages before it happened. I thought that everything was going really well for Mia so I wouldn't be surprised if the twist happened. I actually shouted 'I was joking!' when I got to that part.
The book ends happily like most YA books do. It's a cute book that I would recommend to the younger audience and for anyone looking for dancing fluff.

Thank you Delacorte Press at Random House Children’s for this eARC via netgalley.

3.5 / 5 stars

Mia is headed to Paris to get a full professional ballet experience before she begins her audition process for the school of her dreams. Mia finds many things in Paris along the way that help her to see her life in a brand new light. Mia uses these new experiences, friendships, and practice to question which step to take next.

This book was extra heartwarming to me with the Parisian setting. I loved following Mia around Paris as she went through her summer program. I love how this book has other inclusions that are important to Mia. I loved being able to follow the family mystery with the paintings as well as Mia meeting some of her relatives who live in France. I found all these inclusions great additions to the story and it helped strengthen the characters as they went through various things.

I loved being introduced to new things related to ballet. I found this topic to be so interesting and I loved how the story revolved around ballet and how much it means to Mia and these characters. I was so excited to see them studying and performing Swan Lake as well. I also love how while we see some rivalry, the characters ultimately come together and support one another. I love being able to see character change done so well and in a way that makes the story much more enriching.

The only thing I did not like was some of the drama and abrupt dramatic scenes because they all felt so rushed, sudden, unnecessary, and confusing.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think it would be great for my students. I am going to have to pick up a copy for them!

This was very cute and sweet.

I loved a lot about this book.

I loved Mia’s passion for her craft and I loved the friendship that blossomed between the dancers. I felt like that was such a great approach with girls loving and supporting each other rather than tearing themselves apart.

The romance was predictable in this and I didn’t get a ton from it but it was a nice to have.

My favorite was the slight mystery in the book.

Overall a cute and light read- it definitely made me want to go to Paris again soon!

I received arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not care for this young adult contemporary title. Teens pay enjoy it more than I do, I just couldn't get into it.

I sincerely wish that YA contemporary book covers weren't as pretty as they are. Especially the illustrated ones that make me wonder whether it's not too late to drop everything and become a Bookstagrammer for the rest of my life.

'Kisses and Criossants' follows Mia, an aspiring ballerina visiting France for a summer to get more practice and potentially get a scholarship. She works hard is holding onto her dream with a vice-like grip - after all, ballet runs in her blood, or so she's been told. But then Mia meets Louis, and is experiencing the romantic French summer of her dreams - will she be able to pick between her dreams or love?

The first thing that I will say about this book is that I actually liked how passionate Mia was about her sport. It was clear that she had worked hard to get to be where she wanted to be, and it certainly wasn't something that was mentioned at the beginning of the book and then tossed aside - it was a fundamental part of her character.

That being said, this book is, at its core, a romance novel. And as sad as I am to say it, this book reminded me of 'Anna and the French Kiss'. Which I absolutely hated.

Louis is nothing more than your average YA love interest. I know I read this book a couple of months ago, but there is absolutely nothing, and I really mean nothing, that I remember about Louis. He was generic in that all Mia could rave about was how "hot" he was. There was nothing about him that distinguished him from any other French boy existing only for the sake of being Mia's romantic daydreams incarnate. (I might be a little prejudiced because he reminds of Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss, but I think I'm justified in these feelings.)

And the romance itself between the two of them? It was so dry. I get the feeling that I wasn't able to enjoy most of this book because I wasn't able to enjoy their relationship at all. It was a classic push-and-pull, I-love-you-but-we-can't sort of situation, which I might have enjoyed under other circumstances.

That being said, I absolutely loved the rivals-to-friends relationship that Mia had with Aubrey. It was so wholesome to see how they slowly but surely became friends, and how Aubrey was given a proper backstory, unlike many of the other side characters (apart from the love interest). Honestly speaking, I think that Mia and Aubrey's relationship had more chemistry and potential than Louis and Mia.

The plot was alright, all things considered. Some plot twists seemed convenient, but ultimately, they weren't unrealistic, and that's what really matters here. The plot was intriguing and easy to follow along, which made for a light and fluffy but quick read.

Overall, there were some parts of this book that I enjoyed, but they are ultimately overshadowed by the parts that I didn't. If you were a fan of 'Anna and the French Kiss', I would probably recommend this to you, or if you're looking for a palate-cleanser sort of read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was centered around Mia, a 17 year old girl who goes to Paris to attend a summer program in ballet.

I loved Mia’s passion for ballet. And what I loved more was that the story unfailingly portrays the difficulties of following artistic dreams with unsupportive family members, and the exhaustion that comes with it. Other things I loved about the book:

🥀Louis-I can’t help it. He’s a soft boy.

🥀The rivals to friends trope.

🥀Writing style.

I gave it 4.5 stars because a lot happened in the last few pages and the ending was rushed. But apart from that, it was a lovely book and I recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, light read.

Mia's life revolves around ballet and this summer she will prove she has what it takes. Attending the summer program in Paris could make or break her career but is that the only thing at risk. This was a cute summer from com with a dash of mystery and dance. Mia was highly relatable and charming even though she did have flaws that needed to be worked on. The plot also touched on the highly competitive and perfectionist nature of ballet. I was disappointed that the story revolved around the relationship between Mia and Louis, only slightly overlapping with her ballet program. She is in Paris to prove herself yet the author chose to focus primarily on her love interest. I would have preferred more balance of the two themes.

This book will make you wish you were in France! It was adorable and atmospheric all at once. I loved the ballet descriptions and getting to travel through Paris via the main character's eyes. A wonderful YA read!

I think this book was a great love letter to Paris and being a teen in a new beautiful place and being swept away by an attractive and fun romantic partner.

As a complete story, it left a little something to be desired. I do like the lessons our MC learned but overall it didn't spark to me as anything special.

Though, as I am not in the target demographic for this book, I can say that if you're a teen interested in the arts/ballet and Paris, you'll probably adore this one!

Though reading this several months after the publication date, I did receive an eARC of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favorite YA reads of the year! I couldn't gobble it down fast enough, and at the same time, I didn't want it to end!

Mia is headed to Paris for a 6 week summer ballet program with high hopes of landing an audition at the end of the summer with ABT in NYC. She is determined to not let anyone or anything get in her way. That is, until she meets Louis. Now Mia spends the summer trying to prove herself in dance, uncover a family history that may be hidden is Paris and unsuccessfully avoiding falling for a young Parisian boy.

Kisses and Croissants was an adorable YA read with just enough tension among characters to keep it interesting. It was full of yummy French foods, interesting ballet information and an enemy to friends relationship that developed throughout. I also like the art component included when Mia was searching for her family history. This was a cute and quick read that I think will be a popular read among young women.

Thank you Netgalley, Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“French kisses taste a million times better in France.”

3.5/5

Kisses and Croissants is an adorable YA contemporary novel.

Mia is in Paris for an intense summer ballet program, if all goes according to plan, she'll snag an audition with one of the world's best ballet companies. You can’t really have a summer in France without some romance though!

I enjoyed this book overall. The author did a fantastic job with making you want to be in Paris! I wanted to be there eating a croissant. It was a fun lighthearted book, definitely for younger teens. It felt more like a middle grade novel to me.

If you’re looking for a sweet romance I recommend you read this!

Both the cover and the title of Kisses & Croissants caught my attention, but as I read Mia's story, I found it hard to keep my attention. Mia is an aspiring ballerina in high school who has the opportunity of a lifetime to study ballet in Paris (*cue Hilary Duff singing "This Is What Dreams Are Made Of"). She just so happens to be accompanied by a classmate named Aubrey who she finds hard to get along with - only to get to the ballet academy and find out their roommates. Then, if you couldn't guess by the title, Mia finds herself swept off her feet by a French boy named Louis. Ballet or boy? Which will she choose?

That's not the only plot line, though.

On top of being torn between chasing her dream or chasing a boy, Mia is determined to learn more about her family history to see if ballet truly is in her blood by searching one art museum after another to see if a famous artist did in fact paint a picture of her ancestor. While this was a nice addition to the story and did tie in to the time Mia spent with Louis, I had mixed feelings about it. Basically, I felt like there were two stories weaved into one.

The writing style would best suit a middle school audience even though Mia is in high school. Personally, I found it choppy and really struggled to push through the first half of the book. The pace started to pick up when Mia and Aubrey decided to work together instead of against each other and really shocked me with the plot twist at the end. For those reasons, I am giving Kisses & Croissants three leaves.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for a honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book will make you want to visit Paris. You will get sucked into the story. The romance is wonderful in this story. The friendships within this story is great. This is my first book by this author and I can already tell you I will be reading the next book this author writes no matter what genre it is. The writing style is fantastic. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is in stores now for $18.99 (USD).

This was a sweet book about having a passion and being dedicated to making your dream a reality while also remembering to live and have fun at the same time. This was a fun, fast, feel-good read that made me feel like I was in Paris with the main characters. The city (with all its sights, sounds and flavors) seemed to jump right off the page. I look forward to seeing another title by this author.