Skip to main content

#ReadISLA Flashback: Lola And The Boy Next Door



Hey guys, today we're going to San Fransisco to hang out with Lola and Cricket!




Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2)
Series: Anna and The French Kiss #2
Publication: September 29, 2011
By: Dutton 
5 Stars! 


Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.



*Review originally posted in October 2011*
 
Lololololo-la! Sorry, can't help but hear the Kinks song in my head each time I hear the name, see the title...you get the picture. I thoroughly enjoyed "Anna and The French Kiss" and was really looking forward to "Lola" and I was not disappointed! The more I read, the more I flipped back to look at it and swooned over the tiniest details that were included. (I heart stars!)

Once again author, Stephanie Perkins has created unique characters full of heart, passion and who are just plain fun to read!
LOLA has all the love and heart pounding romance that ANNA did but with a couple of interesting twists thrown in. There's also a few unexpected guests who had me squealing with delight and I DO NOT squeal. (Really, I don't) Plus, Lola has not one, not two, but three cute boys... T-H-R-E-E! Let's take a peak at them shall we?

If you could take a rainbow, a few rays of sunshine, some shooting stars (for their sparkle factor), and maybe even a snowflake or two, mixed them all together and shook them out, Lola is what would you get. She's bright, colorful, full of life and has a sparkle that's all her own. 

Max is our resident rocker bad-boy. What makes him bad? Well, for starters, he's a "few" years older than Lola. Her two Dads aren't too thrilled with the idea of him but then again they're dads. He's cute, he sings and writes music, has multiple tattoos and engages in less desirable behavior (according to dear old "Dads) which, of course, makes him a total chick magnet.

Cricket is Lola's neighbor and childhood friend. He's not only cute, nice and super intelligent (he invents cool stuff like Barbie elevators) but he's tall - really, really tall. He's also the twin brother of Calliope Bell (aka figure skater extraordinaire/mean girl). Lola's parents like Cricket and there's a bit of history between he and Lola which isn't all happy, happy sunshine but no biggie, because he's the very definition of "Tall drink of water". Thirsty much? Yes.I.Am!

Whose the third cute guy? Well, now, that would just spoil the fun so you'll have to read it for yourself. *wink* *wink*

Lola struggles with making the right choices sometimes as a way to protect herself or those around her from getting hurt. This is familiar territory for her considering she's had her fair share of pain either from her mother's behavior or for being ostracized for her appearance. What she learns is that in order to be true to yourself, you have to "be" yourself, regardless of what others think...you have to live fully and without fear. (You wanna wear a pink wig, a sparkly tutu and combat boots? You go girl!) 

She also discovers that some things are worth the risk if you're willing to give it a chance. Even if it's a second, or a third chance and she finds that when it comes to love, sometimes you have to go back to the start in order to cross the finish line.

Comments

  1. I didn't love Lola quite as much as I loved Anna, but I am REALLY looking forward to Isla! Oh, and I still really loved Cricket. :-)

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Best Of 2012 Blog Hop

  Thanks for stopping by Jenuine Cupcakes! 2012 has been an epic reading year for me and wh ile h aving to choose the BEST of anything is never easy , I pre sent you with a sampling of my Best of 2012. (You'll notice, I've made up a few of the categories to fit my needs but all of these books are fantastic . ) Best Fantasy Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo Best Dystopian/Sequel/People Forgot The MC Was Grieving Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth Best Sci-Fi /A ction /Made Me Beat My Husband U p I n My Sl eep False Memory ( F alse Memory #1) by Dan Krokos  Best Dystopian/Sci-Fi Mashup /I Sa w The Other Hot Boy First Defiance by C.J. Redwine        Best P sychological Thriller /This Book Might Kill Me Be fore It Ends The Evolution of Mara Dyer (M ara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin Best Scared T he Jelly Belly's Out of Me (Because it could happen) Ashen Winter (A shfall #2) by Mi ke Mullins Best Boo

BLOG TOUR: Frazzled by Booki Vivat (GUEST POST + GIVEAWAY)

Meet Abbie Wu! She’s about to start middle school and she’s totally in crisis. Abbie Wu is in crisis—and not just because she’s stuck in a family that doesn’t quite get her or because the lunch ladies at school are totally corrupt or because everyone seems to have a “Thing” except her. Abbie Wu is in crisis always. Heavily illustrated and embarrassingly honest, Frazzled dives right into the mind of this hilariously neurotic middle school girl as she tries to figure out who she is, where she belongs, and how to survive the everyday disasters of growing up. With Abbie’s flair for the dramatic and natural tendency to freak out, middle school has never seemed so nerve-racking! Packed with hilarious black-and-white illustrations and doodles throughout, Frazzled takes readers through Abbie Wu’s hysterical middle school adventures. Amazon | B&N   My Thoughts This book is so freaking adorable! I can't wait to see the finished version with all of Booki's (

Best Series Blog Hop hosted by Cuddlebuggery

Welcome to Jenuine Cupcakes Thank you Cuddlebuggery for organizing this Best Series Blog Hop! *cupcakes for everyone* I have quite a few series that I love but the one I chose to spotlight is The Sweet Series by Wendy Higgins.  Why? Because it's unique, entertaining and jammed packed full of awesome! Sweet Evil (Book 1) Author: Wendy Higgins Publication: May 1, 2012  Amazon | B&N  Embrace the Forbidden What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels. Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her te