Will I love Kisses and Croissants?

Not only do we have a summer romance, but we’ve combined it with French pastry. Literally a recipe for success! Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau’s debut YA novel follows seventeen-year-old ballerina, Mia, as she travels to Paris for the summer for an elite ballet program. Of course, she meets the charming Louis, and together they explore all that Paris has to offer. Rife with beautiful descriptions of Paris and plenty of croissants, this is the perfect summer romance.

Dance is such a competitive activity, it obviously warranted two books on this list! This is a charming novel that follows an ambitious young ballet dancer during a competitive summer program in Paris. I especially enjoyed the unusual rivals to friends storyline, as well as the inclusion of a beautiful and unexpected family mystery. And of course, because it’s Paris, there’s a lovely romance too. I studied and worked in France in my early 20s, but the pandemic has delayed a return trip, so it was especially nice to revisit Paris through this book.  

I picked up this book because of its cover, and it didn’t disappoint. It was refreshing to read a novel by an author who is equally skilled in both French and English, and really knows her subject matter.

As a Francophile, I loved the setting, but I also learned a lot about dance and art. When a book can both entertain—and teach you something new and interesting in the process—I’m all in.