It's a cute concept but I absolutely hate the title. It reminds me of Anna and the French Kiss, another awful title. Only that book was better.

Emily in Paris but reversed. Equally as cringey, but I still enjoyed it. While there is drama, it is more lighthearted and I loved seeing New York from the eyes of a foreigner.

Started this one and unfortunately couldn't get into it. Wish i could have as born and raised in NY girl.

SYNOPSIS: A magical evening in Paris, a whirlwind of feelings, and a promise that if the fates allow... they'll meet again. Margot is now in NYC one year later, ready to get to work on the culinary scene, and hopefully find her way back to Zach, her destined lover. Desperate to find him, she enlists the help of a coworker (hi Ben!) and they take to the city to find her fated mate... but is all really love and rainbows, when a year has passed?

COVER: First off, I have to rave about this beautiful cover as it is what led me to this book! I LOVE it, especially the handwriting title.

MY FEELS: This book was so cute, and was one of those books that feels like a romcom on a page, waiting to be brought to life on screen. It's highly cinematic, romantic, and entertaining. I devoured it in 2 days, while traveling!

4/5 Stars

[Gifted by Delacorte Press and Netgalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

"French Kissing in New York" by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau is a heartwarming and enchanting romance that captures the excitement of new experiences and unexpected connections. Jouhanneau's storytelling prowess shines as she crafts a tale of love, adventure, and cultural exploration. The book's relatable characters and charming plot create an immersive reading experience that resonates with young adult readers. Jouhanneau's ability to capture the emotions of young love and the thrill of discovery adds depth to the narrative, making it a delightful read for those seeking a touch of romance and wanderlust. "French Kissing in New York" is a delightful reminder that stepping out of one's comfort zone can lead to unforgettable moments and unexpected romance, leaving readers with a warm and joyful feeling as they follow the characters' journey of self-discovery and connection.

I enjoy the occasional young adult romance novel, but this novel fell short of my expectations. I’ve grown accustomed to plots that have depth and characters that are willing to change—which was everything this novel did not have.

I tire of narratives where the main character’s only personality trait is getting into a romantic relationship (often with a boy). What happened to valuing friendships? Family relationships? Learning to be a better person? Any one of those themes would have substantially improved this novel. Instead, there was a one-dimensional main character (Margot) who only cared about one thing: finding Zach. (Zach was the boy she spent one magical night with in Paris, France and promised to meet up with a year later in Times Square at midnight on the bleachers.) However, I struggled with Margot’s obsession with finding Zach; there was no reason for her being blindly interested in this boy. And that was largely due to the lack of set-up: we saw Zach once in the prologue and went nearly 80% of the story before seeing him again. I can’t help but wish that this story was told in two timelines: one showing us everything that happened in Paris, and the other showing Margot’s current life in NYC. That structure would provide more reasons to root for Margot and Zach—and provide more stakes for when that inevitably came crashing down.

Plotting and characterization issues continued throughout the story. The issues are especially apparent when considering the themes of nepotism. Margot had dreams of moving to NYC, getting hired as a cook as a restaurant (at the age of eighteen, with minimal experience under her belt), and falling in love with Zach. She moved in with her father (rent free) but is genuinely upset when she’s hired a Nutrio, a restaurant that her mother reached out to because the chef was someone she knew in the past. Margot was upset in the face of starting from the bottom and proving herself through sheer hard work. This alone showed me that she wasn’t a character who wanted to and/or was willing to change. Did she have a goal? Certainly, and that was finding Zach. But one plot does not make a novel. (Not to mention, Zach was only on page for about 8% of the book. He was quickly revealed to be a “player” and Margot dumped him before anything truly began.)

Overall, the plot lacked depth. That was due to two reasons: the writing of telling, not showing; and Margot never facing the consequences of her actions. The prologue held some beautiful setting descriptions and romanticized Paris. However, those descriptions rapidly disappeared the farther into the novel you went. The mode largely remained in summary, introspection, and cringy dialogue. The prose largely held the reader at arm’s length, and all I wanted from it was depth and to feel something as I read the book.

As for the conflict—or lack thereof—Margot rarely faced any. Or, if she did, it was resolved within a chapter. (She was fired from her job? The Chef admitted he made a mistake and wanted to hire her back. Margot betrayed Luz’s trust and ruined her Papa’s bachelor party by revealing that Miguel, her Papa’s fiancé, received a job offer in Miami. Her father thanked her for revealing that to him.) There was nothing substantial to force Margot to change, which was a true shame and ultimately crafted her into a rather passive character.

While this book succeeded in making me hungry, it frustrated me in terms of its developmental weaknesses. There was so much potential in the premise, but it ultimately fell short.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This book was cute and the setting was great. As someone who lived in NY for a year, I felt right back at home reading it (also made me miss it a lot)

For the first half I wasn’t that annoyed by Margot but in the second half I couldn’t really stand her anymore.
I was expecting this whole Zach and Ben thing to go a bit different so was a bit disappointed when it ended in this weird and very rushed love triangle.

I didn’t really feel the connection between any of them if I‘m honest but Ben and Luz were amazing characters.

Overall it was a cute love story set in an amazing city and I did enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

French Kissing in New York by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau follows Margot, a high schooler who lives in France and meets an American boy, Zach, on one magical night in Paris. She then tries to star in her very own Serendipity-style romcom by deciding with Zach to meet one year from that day in New York City (with no phone numbers exchanged. She dreams of taking her French cooking skills all the way to the big apple.

Margot does make it to New York City, but not everything else goes to plan.

This book reads like a love letter to Paris and a love letter to NYC. It is quick in pace and feels like a great romantic comedy with a fearless, high energy main heroine and a journey littered with obstacles to find true love. Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau writes likeable characters and a fast-moving story that's easy to devour.

This book was written for you if:
1) You love Paris or you love New York City
2) You love the movie Serendipity
3) You find yourself interested in Mastering the Art of French Cooking

She needed a huge reality check. The fact that she keeps saying she’s a trained cook at 18 is nearly preposterous. Her rose-eyed glasses of him being her soulmate is naive too. And she wanted her own west village apartment without having a college-degree or literally any stable paying job? No.

I think Anne-Sophia is becoming one of my favorite YA authors. I love how her books are grounded in reality but still sparkle. They are a joy to read!

this is YA novel basically and unfortuntely I didn't love the main characters so wasn't invested in whether they got toether and found each other.

Honestly wasn't terrible, but I think it just wasn't for me. It was painfully predictable and also frustrating. I didn't connect with the main character and didn't love the writing style. But I think it's just my personal preference and someone else would definitely enjoy this book!

FRENCH KISSING IN NEW YORK

This book! I was a huge fan of Kisses and Croissants, Anne-Sophie’s YA debut, so it’s no surprise I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her sophomore YA, French Kissing in New York, from NetGalley. This is a story about Margo, a French girl who actualizes her dreams by moving to New York and pursuing a career in the culinary arts. She moves in with her father and cousin and becomes a line cook at a restaurant where the boss is tough and the stakes are high. When Margo isn’t at work, she’s busy eliciting the help of her cute coworker Ben as she attempts to find a boy whom she had one romantic night with in Paris. Of course, unbeknownst to Margo, Ben is in love with her.
There’s a lot to love about this book, but I will list my top three: the setting, the romance, and the message. The setting of New York was gorgeous. I loved seeing it through the eyes of someone who’s dreamed of living there her entire life. She finds the beauty in everything, and it’s quite refreshing, as I feel like New York is often hated on in media. Secondly, I love the romance. It was fun getting to see who Margo was going to end up with, and for a while, I really wasn’t sure if I should vote for her and Ben, or her and the guy she met in Paris. Finally, I truly enjoyed the message of this book. Guess you’ll have to read it to find out what it is!

Review on Y0utube coming soon. It should be included in my MARCH WRAP UP, which I expect to upload within the first week of April.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

This story had so much potential. I did enjoy reading it, but Margot was not my favorite,

So I have to give this at LEAST 4.5 stars.
I absolutely ADORED this story. So many people don’t realize that to Europeans the American dream is a real thing. And this book just touched on that so beautifully.

I loved everything about Margot and Ben. From the introduction in the kitchen to the fallouts. I wish there was more to be honest. I would love to see where their story goes while in France !

I thought this was a cute YA but found the characters to be a bit naive for 18... well mostly Margot not so much the others. Could've been the fact that its a new country or that I don't remember 18 very well but i thought she was a bit too naive. Love that the readers got immersed in NYC though -- and she's right Levain cookies are the BEST!

Margot met an American boy named Zach in Paris and they shared a magical night together. The night ends with a kiss and a promise between the two that if fate wants them together they will find each other again. A year later Margot has moved to New York to work in the Manhattan restaurant scene and to reunite with Zach. A lot can change in a year though, and Margot spends the whole summer looking for Zach with the help of Ben, a line cook at her restaurant. She was convinced Zach was her soulmate but what if she's wrong?
This book was alright but didn't really grab my attention. The characters could have been better written and honestly it was hard to keep my attention on the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

*SPOILERS*

DNF @ 67%
I tried really hard to finish this book since I was already more than halfway through but I could not. The main character was immature and the side characters were very two-dimensional. The overall plot was OK and it is strange that the lead, Margot is so hopelessly in love with a person she knew for a day lol. She is 18 but she acts for very childish and snobby throughout the book. There were unnecessary conflicts and I did not like her cousin's character who involved herself in Margot's family business and she is such a traitor for secretly dating her cousin's bully and then acting like Margot's is the enemy!

This book was a mess.

This was a very cute and sweet ya romance. I love when romances are set in exciting places, and New York is definitely one of those places. The romance was adorable, but very predictable. I found the main character to be a little annoying though. She didn't make the best decisions and was a tad selfish. Also, the descriptions of food were amazing and made my mouth water. Overall this book was cute, I just didn't love the main character.