{Review} My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins

Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 9th, 2014
Finished Date: December 24th, 2014

Publishers: Macmilliam Children's Book
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Holiday
Source: For Review
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 355

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES. 

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 

This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. 

The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

The Review: Ever since I received My True Love Gave to Me I've been dying to read it. But like many others, I decided to read it closer to Christmas for the festive feeling and what a fantastic idea it was. 

My True Love Gave to Me features twelve stories wrote by twelve different authors. With some authors I was already familiar with some of their previous works but some, I had never heard of. And while most stories were easy enough to read and pleasantly enjoyable, there were a few little gems that stood out and really left me wanting more of the story - I'm not sure that's supposed to happen with anthologies, but hey, it did....but here are my favourite's........

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell;
What a perfect way to start this book. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell is a cute read - one that has a wonderful set of characters. Noel and Mags relationship is clear from the very start of their story. It's a relationship that continues to grow throughout the years of their friendship and it's clear to see when things become that little bit more to each of them. I really enjoyed the little chapters giving us details of their past New Years Eve's together and the countdown was fun to read too. You know it's a good story when you're left wanting more once you've finished. 

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han;
This has to be my favourite from the story. I really loved Natty and I really felt for her situation. With Natty living with elves in the North Pole and her adopted father being Santa Claus, this story was simply refreshing to read. Something different. Something new. Something I've never read before. Even though I did wish for that little bit more towards the end of Natty's story, I remained hopeful that she got her big wish. Another well done for Jenny Han! 

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins;
Simply perfect! A sweet and cute story that although was a little too long is still fully enjoyable. The way the romance is told in the story is very unexpected but once it happens, you can't help but want to hold on to it. It's about two characters coming together and helping each other out. 

In all, My True Love Gave to Me has a good mixture of different stories to keep readers entertained and will bring your spirits up for the holidays. Definitely a great pick to read over the holidays. 

3.5 flowers!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

A review for Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Posted by: Jess
Published Date: December 2nd, 2010
Finished Date: October 31st, 2011
Publishers: Speak (UK publishers)
Source: RAK
Format: Paperback
Pages: 372


The Blurb from Stephanie Perkins' blog: Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

 But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

The Review: He takes my hands into his.Those perfect hands, that fit mine just so. “Anna?” Our foreheads touch. “Yes?” “Will you please tell me you love me? I’m dying here.”


Well what can I say. I'd been wanting to read this book since a Goodreads friend quoted some lines to me. And, finally, Siobhan RAK'ed this to me and I started it the day it arrived at my house. What a wonderful book. 


I wanted to read something light, and I don't normally like contemp romances but I'd heard only good things about it, and I wasn't disappointed one bit! I was completely hooked from the beginning of this book to the very end. I think the only times I put it down was to pee, eat, sleep, and work during the day. Other than that I was reading (and watching Glee). 


Stephanie Perkins has created a fantastic story set in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Paris. With all her wonderful descriptions of the locals, using the French language in parts, it really felt like I was there with Anna. She makes new friends nice and easily after her divorced parents leave her there to finish off her school year. All the characters were great, extremely funny. There are a lot of 'laugh out load' moments in this book, that I once had to stifle laughter because I was on the bus on the way to work. Anyway Anna is a great heroine, she's pretty strong throughout most of the book, she starts off shy and unwise to the workings of the American school in Paris, but once she befriends Meredith and the rest of them she slowly comes out of her shell and we see a new side to her. Gradually, as she settles in to her new surroundings, classes, and gets to know her friends (including the very gorgeous Etienne St. Clair-see Book Boyfriend for full details); she starts to feel more comfortable with everything and in the end (right at the end) she realises that she has fallen in love with the very sexy (and taken) Etienne St. Clair. Ahh Etienne. What can I say, he's everything you could wish for  in a boyfriend. Smart, handsome, funny (seriously he's hilarious), has a British accent (naturally I don't hear it because I'm English), born in America but has a French name, is fluent in French. He's pretty damn perfect, and I thank Stephanie for creating him, but also curse her for making him totally...not real. *sigh*.


Anyway, moving on. Everything about this book was wonderful, it was fast paced, funny, the plot was great and I did sort of see some of it coming but it was still a shock as to how it came out.


So, if you haven't read Anna and the French Kiss yet, then you really should. You won't be disappointed. There's plenty of romance, plenty of funny phrases, funny innuendos, a gorgeous boy to fawn over for all time. It has it all, and I really am looking forward to reading Lola and the Boy Next Door the companion to this novel.


Awesome. Read it!