Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau Book Review

“I came to the most beautiful city in the world to focus on my career, and instead I found exactly what Paris promises: romance.”

(pg. 240)

About

Author: Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

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Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Mia, an American girl at an elite summer ballet program, has six weeks to achieve her dreams: to snag an audition with one of the world’s best ballet companies. But there’s more to Paris than ballet—especially when a charming French boy, Louis, wants to be her tour guide—and the pair discover the city has a few mysteries up its sleeve.

In the vein of romances like Love and Gelato, this is the perfect summer adventure for anyone looking to get swept away in the City of Love. 

Review

Spoilers Contained Below

To the City of Everything,

Kisses and Croissants was like a warm, gooey, buttery, and entirely sweet read that melted my heart 😊💕!

There were so many swoon moments, awwww moments, triumphant screams, and ugly tears. It was a joy to be on an emotional roller coaster. This book truly lived up to being a story that took me to the streets of Paris. I have never been to Paris, yet alone Europe, but it has been a childhood dream of mine. With the pandemic, this dream has been hard on me because it feels like I may not get the chance to go to Europe one day. But I found hope and love again through these pages. I really do hope I can walk down the cobblestone streets of Paris like Mia and go to all the cool spots she went too! I would like to thank Ann-Sophie Jouhanneau for writing about all these timeless places in Paris I didn’t even knew I needed to go to when hopefully I can 🤞🏼! I really can’t wait.

One of the things I absolutely adored about this book was the ballet aspect 🩰. I didn’t read the synopsis beforehand, so I didn’t know Mia was a ballerina until I started the book, but I LOVE a ballerina in a story. I grew up dancing ballet and jazz at a local dance studio. I wasn’t the best dancer growing up, so when I hit high school, I stopped dancing because I wanted to focus on school and I didn’t make the teen jazz company, meaning I would have to dance with ten year olds when I was fourteen. Yea, I wasn’t going to do that 😅. When I quit dance, my heart felt sad because I grew up honing my body to dance and then to suddenly stop felt like I lost a part of me even if I wasn’t the best dancer, it still sucked. The older I got, the more I missed dancing and in college I saw there was a ballet class. Guess who took ballet for a year in college? This gal 😊. It was honestly the best decision I made because when I got into the studio, I felt so nostalgic and euphoric to move my body in that way again. It was like my body remembered the steps and it came naturally——rusty, but naturally. I just had fun reconnecting with dance because I always missed ballet the most when I quit dance. My second semester in ballet got cut short because lockdown happened and we had to practice ballet at home, which was a bit more complicated and difficult because my house wasn’t a dance studio. I also missed going to classes with a great group of people to practice with.

Suffice to say, it was cathartic and nostalgic  to read about Mia’s journey as a ballet dancer. 

Ballet was Mia’s whole life, understandably so. People don’t give dancers, including ballet dancers, especially pointe dancers, enough credit for the elegance, dedication, poise, tenacity, and commitment it takes. Dance is no joke. A person has to want to be a dancer if they want to dance——it takes all the time, energy, effort, and thought. Mia definitely had all the qualities of a dancer. She even had the skill, which made her highly promising in being a professional dancer in the future. That’s what I admired most about Mia—-how assured she was in what she wanted to do and how she knew dance had to come first. I loved that for her because she was focusing on herself and she knew she wasn’t going to give up her dream/life’s work for anybody. I also loved how steadfast she was in her faith of wanting to be a professional dancer. Her mom was very passive aggressive in her support———or fake if you will. I knew something was up with the mom when I read she wasn’t supportive of Mia’s ballet dreams. I was literally like, “I bet dancing didn’t work out for her” 😅. I find most times when parents are unsupportive, it’s either because a) they are literal trash or b) they want better for their child because they know what it’s like to struggle and not accomplish a dream. So I already caught a vibe that the mom was trying to protect Mia by not being supportive—by making Mia feel like dance didn’t have to be her whole life.

“I believe that you can love doing something, but it doesn’t have to become our whole life.”

(pg. 138)

I do believe that one thing doesn’t need to be a person’s whole life, nor should it be. That’s how a person burns out quickly—even if it is a passion.

Dance requires passion in all aspects, but the mom was partially right in how Mia needed to let go and be a teenager sometimes to recognize there was more to life than just ballet——that it didn’t need to be ballet all the time. I think Mia actually had a pretty good balance between dance and doing things for her, but I also felt like all her choices had to be all or nothing—ballet or nothing. 

“Here’s the truth about having an ‘impossible dream,’ as mom calls it. Very often, you’re alone with it. Your passion fills up all the space inside and around you, making it hard for anyone to get through.”

(pg. 138)

When I read that quote, I nodded my head vigorously. I felt that.

For the past month, I have been writing my first draft of a third work in progress (WIP) book that I hope gets published one day. When writing my third WIP, I was consumed by typing every day. I didn’t text anyone, didn’t call anyone, didn’t hang out with friends or family all that much. I was consumed by my passion to write. Writing can feel like one of the most isolating hobbies or passions and when trying to become a published author, it feels like an “impossible dream” where a person may get consumed in their work because they want to achieve their dreams so badly because they believe they can. And that’s something I related to Mia. I feel like most people have a realistic and an “Impossible” dream that they can achieve, and I hope that they can. It’s hard when people don’t believe you can achieve the “impossible” dream, and that within itself is where the dream becomes even more lonely. But hey, there is possible in impossible 😉. 

But I’m happy Mia was in a program with dedicated dancers just like her because it probably made her feel less alone in her dream. There’s nothing more motivating than being in the same room as people who also share a similar dream. 

Speaking of a similar dream, let’s talk about Audrey. 

One of the most underrated tropes that I have found a new love in after this book is frenemies to friends 💕.

Audrey and Mia’s relationship was one of the sweetest highlights of Kisses and Croissants. 

Mia and Audrey were nemesis per say because they were both excellent dancers who were now in this Paris ballet school—Institut de l’Opéra de Paris. I liked how respectful Mia was to Audrey—she wasn’t catty, petty, or jealous. Mia knew Audrey was objectively a better dancer than her because Audrey was more skilled. But Mia was also sort of confident in herself to know she was a good dancer as well. I liked that. There was no drama drama between them like I would have thought. I also liked how Audrey was respectful to Mia as well; she also thought Mia a worthy dancer. That was a big compliment coming from Audrey. Their relationship was really healthy and friendly competition for their entire lives. I found it funny how they had to room together because  of course they would! Audrey pegged me as someone who stuck to the rules, he was very prim, steady, proper, and focused. She ate, bathed, slept, breathed, and woke up to ballet. I admired her hutzpah. Also for lack of a better term, she also felt like she had a stick up her butt about ballet 🤪. A sis needed to chill. Mia was chill.

I loved the moment when Mia gets upgraded to level five after the initial warm-up practice after Monsieur Dabrowski thought Mia was up for the challenge of level five. Off she went on the great white leotard escapade, which I’ll get into more later. But I loved the whole moment when they were in level five and Monsieur Dabrowski asked Audrey and Mia what they thought each other’s weaknesses were. He was trying to prove a point—I could see what he was doing. Mia voiced how Audrey didn’t dance with her heart and how she was more robotic and automatic than heartfelt. Where else Audrey said Mia wasn’t as technically good as she was, but Mia did dance with emotion/heart. They were opposites. From then on, I knew that they were going to learn from each other to be better dancers. They would help with one another’s weaknesses. I also loved loved loved how Mia and Audrey got principal parts!!! GO THEM! What I loved most about their roles in the recital —Swan Lake—was how Audrey was going to play Odette the white, innocent swan because would need to improve her emotional aspect of the dance. Mia was going to play Odile who had a more technically challenging role, which would help her grow as a dancer. When Mia’s name wasn’t called at first for a lead part, my heart sank for her, but then when Monsieur Dabrowski said she would play the other half of the swan persona, which was soooo well-selected and done on his part. I also loved how Mia got a more complex role than Audrey because it would showcase Mia in a better light to potential ballet scouts.

Mia’s dream was to go to the American Ballet Theatre in New York. She didn’t get in this summer, but she got into the Paris Ballet school where she knew scouts sometimes went to to look for dancers. She could be scouted to audition for the ABT or other schools, which was a wonderful opportunity and great exposure to her. So there was a lot riding on this performance.

“But the Black Swan? She’s the underdog. She comes out of nowhere to disrupt the peace and immediately commands everyone’s attention. She brings darkness to the stage and steals the spotlight. No one wants her to win, and no one expects her to. Yet, she’s the only swan left standing at the end.”

(pg. 94)

I also thought it was pretty cool Mia was going to play the Black Swan because it felt like a metaphor for how she was going to surprise everyone with her technical skills and I loved that for her.

I loved when Mia and Audrey trained together. They didn’t get along well at first, but they grew to respect each other. I also liked how Mia would get subtle compliments from Audrey about how good a dancer Mia was. Mia didn’t feel like she was a good dancer to Audrey—like Audrey thought herself better—-so it was refreshing to see that Audrey had the same respect for Mia as Mia did for her. I also liked that one training session where they had a sort-of heart-to-heart moment. To be honest, I thought Audrey was the one who told Monsieur Dabrowski about Louis, but it wasn’t her. During their conversation, they hashed out how they really felt about each other. Audrey was jealous that Mia could feel things so easily and that she always had fun where else Audrey breathed, slept, and cried ballet. There was also a lot of pressure Audrey felt from her mom—-the exact opposite pressure Mia felt from hers. The more we learned about Audrey, the more I understood and sympathized with her. Audrey’s mom was very strict and wanted Audrey to go to a Russian Bolshoi dance school like the mom did. So the mom always harped on Audrey to be perfect. Mia’s mom wanted Mia to think about things other than ballet because ballet might not work out for her.

I understood Audrey’s anger because she had all this pressure on her back and it prohibited her from feeling like she could let loose and have fun when her mom was the one breathing fire down her neck. It made me think how parents can sometimes translate their unlived dreams to their children without realizing that their children deserve and should create their own dreams. After this conversation, I thought Audrey was a good person who was going through a lot and who could use some fun in her life. I know the feeling well after doing school for most of my life—I need a break and to do something fun 😅.

After their conversation, I liked how the door opened up for them to be a “team.” I found it funny that they both emphasized that they didn’t need to like each other to help each other 😅. They definitely liked each other.

I loved how they trained in synch together going forward. Audrey helped Mia with her fouettés. When I was in jazz, we had to attempt fouettés, gosh knows I could barely do two fouettés without my supporting leg bending 🤪. Yikes! When I told you I wasn’t the best dancer, I really did mean it 🙈. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy myself! Anyway, I loved loved loved when Mia took Audrey to go street dancing to help her loosen up. This part reminded me of a similar scene in Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. I think there’s a freeing aspect of dancing for strangers on the street because they don’t know you and you’re probably not going to see them again. Also, dancing on the street forces a person to let loose because people start to watch. Gosh, I felt kind of embarrassed for Audrey and how rusty she was when she attempted a Salsa. I’m happy that nice couple helped her out though. It was sweet to see Audrey get into the Salsa and enjoy herself 😊.

“I smile for real this time. I didn’t find love with the perfect French guy, but it looks like I gained an improbable friend along the way.”

(pg. 211)

I loved loved loved that 💕.

When they worked as a team, it greatly improved their dancing and it made being at school feel less competitive and more encouraging. I loved how once Audrey learned to let loose, she started hanging out with Lucy, Anouk, and Mia during meal times instead of going off to shower or watch a ballet video. I also loved the scene where Audrey and Mia were rehearsing and Myriam Eyed, aa danseuse étoile, told them to switch swan roles. When they stepped into each other’s shoes, it was wonderful to see how they both felt confident in the other’s role because they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

I loved their friendship.

And I adored Mia and Louis.

HOW CUTE 💕!

I love a love story set in Europe 🥺.

Gosh, something’s in the air in Europe that isn’t in American air. Must be that climate crises 😂.

The way they met was very meet-cute-ish. When Mia saw Louis waiting on the ballet school’s steps, I was like this boy wasn’t just chilling here for a friend. Mia didn’t ask anymore questions though because she desperately needed a white leotard. And that was how she found herself on the back of a Vespa with a cute French boy. It’s crazy how the universe works sometimes 😉.

“Louis put on his helmet, straddles the scooter, and kicks it into gear. ‘Are you coming? We don’t have much time.’

I bite my lip. Well played, Paris. Well played.”

(pg. 41)

And of course Louis had to be Monsieur Dabrowski’s son!

I felt that coming because he wasn’t a dancer, so he was a) at the school waiting for a girl b) waiting to look for a girlfriend c) was actually waiting for a friend d) he was related to staff. It was a kicker that he be related to the strictest teacher there. Funny, but I loved it.

I loved how Louis helped her get a white leotard for her new level five status. I also loved how he took her to lunch on this beautiful bridge– Promenade Plantée. How freaking romantic! I found it funny with how Mia knew she didn’t want to get distracted by a boy, so she wanted to turn him down, but Louis was kind of relentless in telling her she at least needed to eat lunch and she could eat lunch with him. She couldn’t argue with that logic. Anything Louis said sounded so easy and simple—like the answer was clear and not that deep. I liked that. I also liked the sparkle Louis got in his eyes when he saw Mia at the Musée D’Orsay when she saw all the Degas paintings. I liked how much he liked Mia’s passion and reverence for ballet and art because it was a stark contrast to himself.

Louis didn’t know what he wanted to do for a career because he didn’t have an intense passion for something like Mia did with ballet. His parents were very creative, talented, and driven people with successful careers and they wanted Louis to be successful in something as well. Louis not having a passion or knowing what he wanted to do was such a relatable quality. I was lucky enough to have a good idea about what I wanted to do when I got older, but I know many people who graduated high school and college, not really knowing, and that is completely okay! It’s difficult to know what one wants to do after graduating school because the world opens up a plethora of possibilities. A person can try one thing and another, but maybe those things aren’t passions or aren’t things that make that person happy. It can take a sufficient amount of time to find a passion or a job a person likes. I heard once that a person shouldn’t mix passion with a job because doing so might deplete the passion. I agree with that sentiment in some ways because a passion becoming a job can feel like work and we all tend to grow tired of work at one point—it’s natural. Growing up, I wanted to be a teacher. I still want to be a teacher, but the more I learn about being a teacher and the work that goes into it, the more I have questioned this passion I always had. The advice I heard was to do something that you at least tolerate or sort-of like and then do your passion on the side—have a job that gives you time to do your real passion so it keeps the love alive. I like that piece of advice, but again, I think sometimes passions do become a career and it doesn’t have to kill the spark. Anyway, I just really liked how honest Louis felt because sometimes we don’t know.

I liked how Louis wanted to help Mia find the Degas painting with her great-great-great grandmother because it meant a lot to Mia. We love a guy who does something for someone because it’s meaningful to the other person! Louis helped Mia’s French grow and he also supported her by reaching out to see Vivienne (her great-great aunt) and Madeleine. But with Louis helping her on this journey, it was hard for her not to like him

“Maybe you don’t have to choose between love and ballet, Mia. Maybe you can have both.”

(pg. 94)

Mia never dated much because dating was a distraction. She dated someone once and got to ballet class late, so she had to sit the class out. After that, she didn’t want to throw away her dreams for childish dates or for love. But Louis opened her heart to chance. I liked their cute little date and their sneaked moments on the boat. I still kind of was shocked how she literally walked away/ditched him on their first date when he got a call 🤪. I understood that he knew why she ditched him—they were keeping their relationship under wraps because she didn’t want anyone to think she was where she was in the school because she was dating the Monsieur’s son.

You know, what I liked about Louis the most? How he was okay with coming second in Mia’s life. He didn’t care if ballet was first, heck, he was her number one supporter. I loved that he wanted her to live her dream even if he also did want to be with her.

I loved when they drank champagne together and how they did a caricature art together 🥺. I also loved when they rode a Ferris wheel in the sky and kissed. How sweet! I also loved loved loved the emotion and cutesiness of their first kiss—-first real kiss, I should say. It was just so cute! Young low *sigh*.

“Because croissants are like kisses. You don’t fully ‘get’ them until you’ve had them in Paris. And now I know this: French kisses taste a million times better in France.”

(pg. 182)

She probably wanted to bite his face off because all she thought about was food 😂. I’m joking! The moment was super sweet. I was waiting for a Tower Eiffel moment—you know the clichéd Eiffel Tower moment—-but we never got one, which I can live with. But gosh, the book would have been even more sweet if there had been a Eiffel Tower moment. Imagined if they danced on the Eiffel Tower or something 🥺. Cute.

Mia was finally living her best life and then she had to be slapped back down to earth.

The school did some sort of showcase before the Swan Lake recital, and in the showcase, Mia fumbled in line—she was a literal foot step away from where her foot should have landed. She corrected herself, but Monsieur Dabrowski obviously saw her misstep and reprimanded her for it by telling her she knew she was seeing Louis. You know what is worse than a person getting angry when you do something wrong? It’s when they express disappointment.

Disappointment is like a javelin to the heart.

It’s the feeling of letting someone down.

To me, Mia’s misstep wasn’t a big deal, but I guess in this school it was because it meant Mia was distracted—everything she didn’t want to be. I felt worried that he would take the part away from her because if he did, I was about to misstep on his feet ☹️. What got me though was how he told Mia that Louis had dated other ballerinas. I mean, that wasn’t surprising, disappointing, but not surprising. When Mia heard that, my heart fell for her because the last thing she wanted to do was let a guy come between her and her dream, but I understood how she felt like that was what happened with Louis. It felt like her fault when it wasn’t. She deserved to find love and to do other things than dedicate her life to ballet. It was interesting how I could feel Monsieur Dabrowski’s stern facade shift. He seemed like he wanted to be kind to Mia because Louis had used or hurt her in some ways and Louis was his responsibility and now Louis had affected a dancer. I like when we see a character have different levels.

I understood why Mia lashed out at Louis afterwards—she wanted to drive him away so much he wouldn’t come back to distract her. But he also wasn’t fully honest with her the day they met, which I could also see the hurt there. I didn’t like how she threw his lack of passion back at him because that was one of his insecurities. Never throw someone’s insecurities in their face to hurt them. It’s not nice. When Louis rode off on his Vespa, I was like, “Take me with you!” The poor dude 😢. She was hurting.

Say it with me: HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE.

Mia still wanted to find the lost Degas painting and she wanted to include Louis because she started that journey with him and he helped her tremendously. I liked how when she did call, Louis was so sweet about everything even if part of him was hurt. It wasn’t wrong of him to be tentative with his heart after the things she lobbed at him.

I liked how they had a mature conversation about their pasts and emotions because it cleared the air. Louis was waiting for an ex that day on the steps—Sasha (a student teacher). They had an on and off again relationship for a long time. She broke up with him first and that hurt him, so he slept around with other dancers in a petty way to show her he didn’t care she broke up with him. But he was on those steps to win her back, but then he met Mia and things changed. He sounded genuine, or I hope he was genuine. You know how sometimes people can say a story and then they’re like “But then I met you . . . and things were different.” Yea, I hoped Louis wasn’t lying about the “you were different” part. There has to be something said though about relationships we go back to because they are like a comfort. Sometimes we have to let go of a relationship we’re clinging tightly too because when we hold something too tight, we don’t give that thing room to breathe and it can be unhealthy for both people. I felt they needed to break up for good. I’m happy he found love with Mia. My heart also swelled when he said:

“From the moment I met you, I thought, I love to see her smile. And if she’s smiling because of me, then even better.”

(pg. 230)

HOW SWEET 🥺💕!

We love someone who just wants to make us happy.

“It’s meaning rings loud and clear in my head. A piece of happiness has entered my heart, and I know the cause of it.

L.O.U.I.S.”

(pg. 240)

It was pretty neat how Mia and Louis could see all these private displays of Degas paintings. I mean, I would LOVE to see secret artwork in a museum! The history?! Impeccable.

The moment that Mia found the Degas painting, made me tear up. There are some things you just feel so deeply in your heart and you know. You know? I was so happy for her that she had this bit of history and connection to her ancestors. I don’t know a lot about my ancestors, but I would like to because history is such a fascinating thing because it’s a part of all of us—we carry history with us and we are the legacies of people who have come before us. I loved how Mia found herself and connected with her history in that moment. Thank Louis for distracting that man so she could take a picture of the Degas painting and have it with her forever. That’s so special 💕.

What made the day even more special was how after they found the painting, Louis asked her how she felt and Mia said happy. That’s all he wanted her to be 🥺.

The end recital felt like a triumphant moment for everyone! I pictured a very wholesome, beautiful, and intricate performance. I would have loved to see! I got chills and giddy smiles for Mia when she did her thirty-two fouettés with the utmost calm poise she could have. I loved how she knew her fouettés were not perfect, but they were as good as she practiced—-that she improved—and that was more than enough for her.

I loved loved loved the inner-confidence she gained throughout her journey. In the beginning, she was highly doubtful about her abilities. When Monsieur Dabrowski moved her from level four to level five that first day, Mia instantly questioned herself and whether she deserved to move up. That made me sad because she was a good dancer and everyone around her saw she was, but she didn’t believe it for herself. She felt like she needed the ancestor story to be true so it would mean that she was a good dancer or at least deserved to be a dancer. In all honesty, she didn’t need to know her ancestor was a danseuse étoile to know she loved dancing or that she was good at it. I guess, yes, it gave her something to believe in and to hold onto when she doubted herself. However, even I knew she was a good dancer with or without the knowledge of her being related to one of the greatest dancers. I still enjoyed the journey of Mia finding Élise Mercier (her great x3 grandma) Degas painting because it did confirm for Mia that she was a great dancer and that this was her path.

After the recital, Monsieur Dabrowski and her had a conversation where he complimented her and everything, and Mia’s reaction was such a stark contrast from the skeptical girl we met in the beginning.

“Yesterday, I might have asked if he really meant it. I may have even registered a little shock, but not today.I know deep inside that this was the best performance of my life. Until the next one.”

(pg. 269)

Gosh, I was so happy for her 🥺💕!!

We all just have to do our best at the end of the day and believe in ourselves when no one else does.

I also enjoyed seeing the softer side of Monsieur Dabrowski because he was for sure a harsh, stern commanding person, but he also had a heart for love and for people he sees passion in. I think he gives out tough love because he sees the best in his dancers and wants to push them to be the best, even if that does mean yelling and saying things like you dance like a horse. I also thought it was interesting how we saw three sides of him—a teacher, a dad, and a person. The moment was also very wholesome because Mia truly did have it all now—love and ballet. She accomplished both without having to choose. I also loved how we saw Monsieur Dabrowski take a secret admiration and pride to Mia with how much she had grown. He taught her well even if he could have been nicer about it 😅.

“I’ve changed since I arrived in Paris. My dream is the same, and yet it feels different.”

(pg. 254)

After the recital, Louis wanted to show Mia what he had been painting—a passion he started doing again.

When he first told Mia he was painting something and didn’t want to show her, my writer’s brain said the painting was of her 👌🏼. I would bet all the croissants on it.

You know, whenever there’s a cute scene, I always ask myself, what would an author do to emulate the most swoon worhty, cutesy scene? And then I follow that thought 🤪.

Alas, it was a painting of her.

But boy did a freaking MURAL!!! 👏🏼

He painted a mural of Mia as the Black Swan, mid a ballet pose. Mia was his muse and inspiration because he saw passion in her and that made him passionate about something. I mean, MY GOSH!!!

If that’s not the level of effort I get in a relationship, I don’t want it 🤪. Books are out here setting my expectations high 😂.

If your partner doesn’t go above and beyond for you like Louis does, get you someone who will.

My gosh, what a gem!

UGH, but the cuteness didn’t stop there.

I’m pretty sure this happened earlier in the book, but I loved when they went to the Mur des je t’aime—the mural of love written in different languages. I was pretty sure the moment called for them to say they loved each other then, but I loved how after all they had been through they said they loved each other after the recital when he showed her the painting. I also loved how Mia’s confidence translated to her relationship. She kissed Louis first. I give Mia all the credit for being the person who always seemed to initiate things—reaching out to Louis after their fight and kissing him. I need her level of confidence.

I LOVED, LIVED when she gave him a lock because she wanted to one day have someone to be on a lock with to put on the Lock Bridge. She’s a hopeless romantic too! That’s so cute! I loved how Louis wrote their names on the lock and decided to keep the lock on his Vespa so he would always have her with him when she left back to the states. It made my heart sad to know that they weren’t sure how to navigate their relationship now that the program was done. Louis said he wanted to apply to art colleges in New York, which made me happy for Mia because assuming she got into ABT, she and Louis could be together. That also meant he needed to get into the art school though. I felt like Mia wouldn’t have moved to Paris in the future because she valued being near her family, and her dreams were in the states. I again respected how Louis didn’t keep her from achieving her dreams.

But something else sure did . . .

THE FREAKING END TOOK MY HEART AND SHRED IT OUT A WINDOW 😩!!!

I WAS A CLUSTER TRUCK OF WORDS and SHOCK . . .

WHAT!?

I’ve read many plot twists before, but somehow the plot twist at the end was the most devastating and shocking plot twist I’ve read in a contemporary book.

When that car came out of nowhere and rammed up on Mia and Louis’s Vespa . . . FREAKKAKAKKAKAKAKKAKAKAK. I was a mess 😱.

How dare Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau!

My heart literally fell for Mia!!!

SIs just had a wonderful performance, a wonderful make-out session, a wonderful boyfriend, a wonderful night, and a wonderful future and she had to be written to get hit by a CAR??????? 😖

My heart 💔.

I could already feel the regret and devastation.

The regret of knowing she shouldn’t have followed Louis out that night when she should have been sleeping in and prepping for her auditions for tomorrow—additions for prestigious ballet schools.

Then there was the devastation.

Gosh, I was divested for her. I was gutted.

She had such an amazing future ahead of her—all her dreams and all her hard work finally paying off—and now it was gone in a blink of an eye. If I was Mia, I would have felt absolutely gutted because I would have felt like it was my fault that I went out that night. I think part of Mia would have also felt like she lost everything for a boy. But it wasn’t her fault because she didn’t know what was going to happen. Love was also worth the risk But gosh, I was so sad because I knew that she wasn’t going to be able to dance for a while after being in the accident, and heck she also missed her auditions. They weren’t going to give her another chance. It just felt like such an all time low after everything. When Mia cried, I cried for her.

My heart hurt when Audrey and her friends came to see her. The conversation with Audrey made me cry my heart out too. Audrey got all these auditions as she should have, but I felt sooooo sad because Audrey felt sooo sad because Mia was now someone she liked and deserved a happy ending like her, but instead Mia was in the hospital. I could feel how sorrowful Audrey was for Mia because she knew more than anyone how hard Mia worked and how great a dancer she was. I loved that Audrey followed her heart and chose to go to ABT instead of Bolshoi. Good for her 👏🏼! I loved how Audrey also voiced how she would have loved to have gone with Mia 😢 and how she was scared of her mother’s wrath and not being good enough. Audrey’s doubt was a complete 180 to the confident girl we knew her to be—but having a bit of doubt because we’re scared of something new is natural, and can sometimes be a good thing—- a healthy thing. But I loved how Audrey and Mia were there for each other. I loved loved loved their relationship.

It must have been equally painful for Mia to hear about all these missed opportunities she had 😢.

What made my heart break was when Louis visited her and he was a blubbering mess of apologies and he left. GOSH, I could only imagine how AWFUL he must have felt. He probably blamed himself just as much—probably more than Mia did. He probably hated himself for it. My heart also hurt when Monsieur Dabrowski called Mia to tell her that he got her a possibility with a Paris school audition when she healed—-something to do with the program director of the l’Institut de l’Opéra. The fact that the big bad of ballet helped Mia was so sweet. He had a soft spot for her, whether it was because he respected her as a dancer, she was dating his son, or he genuinely liked her, I don’t know. But I loved that he wanted to help her because it meant he at least saw something noteworthy in her dancing to know she deserved a shot. I also liked that he wasn’t angry at her or made her feel stupid or wrong for going out that night. I thought he would have been disappointed that she threw away her dreams and went with Louis, but I’m glad he didn’t. He’s not that bad a person 👌🏼.

With her accident, I loved how the mom came. We needed to see the mom in this book. There needed to be resolution with her.

Honestly, I don’t know how rich Mia and her family are, but gosh, the mom said let me break the bank 😂. I loved that! She said, let’s stay in the bougiest hotel and live it up so we don’t leave Paris on a bad note. I love a happily ever after kind of moment. The mom talked to Mia about how she was an unsuccessful ballerina, which was unsurprising, but I liked that they had an honest conversation where they finally understood each other.

“‘I thought I wanted this path more than anything else; then my life took a different path, and it was perfect. This isn’t about missing chances. It’s about enjoying the journey. You should pursue your dream for as long as you want to, but you should also allow yourself to change dreams along the way.'”

(pg. 298)

As much as Mia getting hit by a car hit me like a car for her dreams, I understood why it happened.

I loved the message. The mom’s dancing dream didn’t work out for her, but she followed it through until she found a new passion. Mia’s passion and always been dance and it was her forever passion, but now after having a major setback, she could either continue her dream or find a new one. Because here’s the thing, I wasn’t worried about Mia never being able to dance again, because it felt like she was going to, it would just take time. To me, I would feel like healing would take an ungoshly amount of time and I would just want to heal and dance again, but this was a road bump in her journey. And sometimes when we go after our dream, it’s not perfect and things happen—such as what happened with Mia. It’s the journey about how we get to that dream and enjoying what happens along the way—trusting the journey. I believe things happen for a reason and we might not always see it, but sometimes things happen because it needs to happen for us to grow or become stronger people. There’s also this saying that when something you wanted works out for you, it’s God’s direction, but if something doesn’t work out, it’s God’s protection. This saying isn’t religious and it can be about whichever God a person believes in. But I do think that sometimes we are pointed in the direction we need to go. If something was meant for us in the universe, the universe will guide us there and it will be ours—what’s meant to be yours will be yours. But if it wasn’t meant to be, the universe will guide us to where we do/should be.

Maybe getting into ABT wasn’t what the plan was for Mia—not what the universe wanted for her. Plans change. Enjoy the journey.

Mia got hit by a car so she could find her way back to Paris and be with the person she was meant to be with. Gosh, I didn’t wish she got hit by a car to have that redirection, but it felt like that was where the universe wanted to be—Paris with her love.

The fact that she also had a possibility for a second chance with the Paris director was another sign that Paris and Louis were part of her life and her future. When she was crying her eyes out in the hospital—rightfully so—she couldn’t see just how much the universe was protecting her and bringing her to a future with love and more possibilities.

I do believe things happen the way they are supposed to. I loved when Louis showed up at her hotel at the end because he saw her picture in Paris that said Au Revior. We love a person who does the grand gesture! If I was Louis I would have thought Mia wouldn’t have wanted to talk to me after the accident either, but I loved how they still loved each other. I love love 💕.

“Love is like ballet in that way: to be worth it, it has to be painful at times. Exquisitely so.

(pg. 307)

The epilogue warmed my heart.

Our Mia was up and dancing better than ever. What doesn’t kicks you makes you stronger 😂. Yikes, I’m joking!

But I loved seeing Mia thrive. I also loved how her and Audrey were FRIENDS!!!! 🥺💕 The moment Audrey called Mia her friend, I SCREAMED!! I loved their relationship more than I loved her and Louis, I swear. I mean, friendship is so special. I also loved how Audrey had all these friends.

I also loved how we saw Mia return to live in Paris and Louis was waiting at the airport for her. Mia was apprehensive because they spent all this time apart and the didn’t talk that much with him going to college—I’m assuming he didn’t get into the New York art college or he didn’t try because it wasn’t like Mia was there anyway—but when he saw her and said he still loved her, my heart 💕. It was so sweet how they fell back in love so easily after being away from each other. I loved that though because at least they didn’t break off their relationship doing the whole, you’re too far we can’t be together spiel. They just let their relationship happen. If you love someone, set them free and if they love you, they’ll come back. And if they still love you, they’ll stay or they will be there when you come back. I loved how Louis was there for her. Gosh, I was waiting for that French kiss 😉. I mean, how could they not.

But I am hopeful for Mia and Louis’ future. I think they’re pretty bright. I think Louis will be an artist, maybe the next Degas. He can paint Mia and Mia’s successors can find her lost paintings by Louis Dabrowski and think about how they too can have ballet and love. I think Mia will go on to do sold-out ballet performances at the Palais Opéra Garnier just like her great-great-great grandmother. That would be so cool and special!

I wonder if Grandma Joan will reconnect with Aunt Vivienne and Madeleine? I think that would also be such a sweet moment? Family trip to Paris? I would also love to see Audrey and Mia dance together again because they have such a good friendship.

The story was just what I needed—light-hearted, sweet, wholesome, gushy romance with so much heart and delicacy. Every moment was pure joy 🥰. I also admired Mia’s growth as a dancer and person because passion was a main topic in this story and I feel we all are finding or have found a passion. Sometimes we can get so lost in our passion that we forget to live life, but we need to remember that there is so much more life to live and that life doesn’t have to be one or the other. It’s also okay if passions or dreams change. We grow up and our interests may shift and it’s okay. It’s also okay if the journey we always wanted doesn’t turn out to be what we actually go through. We grow through what we go through and sometimes we go through things that are even better than what we thought we wanted. Keep pursuing your passions. And if you have yet to find yours, you will. Trust me, you’ll feel it. It’ll take time, but keep exploring to see what you like and what you don’t like. Things will work out as they should 😊.

Anyway, what was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part?

What are your top Paris sites you want to go to? Or if you have been or are from Paris or France in general, where are must visit places? 🥰 I want to curate a good list!

Anything I mentioned that you want to discuss more about?  Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕

I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.

And as always, with love,

Rating

5 Full Bloom Flowers

Characters: I could relate a lot to Mia as a dancer and a person of passion. She is truly likable and you will fall in love with her as much as you will with Paris.

Writing: Great writers can transport you to a place and make you feel all the emotions, and Ann-Sophie did that 💕

Plot: A book in Paris with a ballerina, friendship, and love?! What’s not to love?

Romance: SUPER ROMANTIC