Lola and the boy next door by Stephanie Perkins

Rating : 5 / 5

Goodreads : 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.

My review : I didn't think it was possible for me to love Lola and the boy next door even more than his companion novel Anna and the french kiss but well... it was ! Well done Stephanie Perkins ! Once again you totally got me !
What's really surprising and great about those novels is that when you see the cover and the blurb you can perhaps think that it's going to be a cheesy novel ect... Yeah I thought that at first and it's true that those novels are all about romance, relationships, feelings ect... There are contemporary novels (and it's not my favortie genre) without a lot of actions but... those novels are also unforgettable and I'm having a really good time when I'm reading them. Lola and the boy next door was no exception.
My favorite "part" of Stephanie Perkins books is... her characters ! They felt so real ! I loved Lola. I loved her parents and just the whole story behind Lola, eveything from her outrageous outfits to her history with Cricket. She totally won me ! Lola herself is a character I laughed with, cried with and connected with the most.
I ended up loving Cricket even more thant Etienne (I REALLY didn't think that was possible before reading this book). He was just so heartbreaking. The perfect guy ! Cricket Bell is awkward, intelligent and super cute. I loved that they were best friends when they were kids. They were each other's first kisses, made adorable presents for each other and even annoyed his twin, Calliope, with their closeness. It's the kind of innocent and honest relationship that we all love !
So yes Cricket is special and unique but Lola has a boyfriend. And at the beginning I really liked Max because he seems to really love her even if there is an age difference... But well at the end... I didn't care about him much because he is a total jerk.
Anyway the romance was really credible. I loved the characters, the relationship everything even the background with the houses (the neighborhood takes an important part in the book), San Francisco, Lola crazy outfits, her talking to the moon ect...
I also liked that we get to see Anna and Etienne from the previous book. I was just jealous of their relationship they are so perfect together !
All in all Lola and the boy next door is cute, sweet, lovely and magical... it's everything we had come to expect from Stephanie Perkins. If you liked Anna your will like Lola !!  I just can't wait to read Isla and the happily ever after now!!!