Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins Review

Source:  Purchased
Genre:  YA-Contemporary Romance
Publisher:  Dutton Books
Date Published: September 29, 2011
Number of Pages:  338

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. 
(from Goodreads)

I actually really enjoyed this. Lola was interesting, and I adored her Dads. I gotta say, her boyfriend was a huge dirt bag. He was just a really crappy character in a really good book. And I didn't feel like his character went anywhere at all. Except to make Lola feel like crap and come to her senses, which was fine.

Cricket was a great character, and I enjoyed how "hairbrained" he was. The writing on the hands? That was really interesting. And him letting her paint his nails?? Swoon. Seriously, I did the sigh and everything.

Calliope was...well...every YA novel needs that one bitch, and she was it. She did show a good bit of sibling love though, so I can sorta relate.

This was a great summer read, and I enjoyed hearing more about Anna and St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss. I started to like St. Clair even more in this novel.

Quick, fast paced, and full of misadventure, this was a wonderful addition to Anna and the French Kiss.

5 out of 5 Happy Clouds :)