French Kissmas

Students Across the Seven Seas

by Catherine Hapka

For Nicole Larson, the Christmas season in Paris is more than just a romantic interlude—it’s also a homecoming. Nic studied abroad in Paris a year ago, and is back in town with her friend Annike to spend Christmas and New Year’s in the City of Light. Of course, now that Nic is there, the chemistry she once had with Parisian hottie Luc instantly reignites. But why fuel a romance that has only three weeks to survive? Nic would rather spend time with her new buddy Mike . . . until it becomes clear that Mike is also interested in being more than just friends. With a backdrop of twinkling lights on the Champs-Elysées and Parisian Christmas carols, it’s going to be difficult for Nic to deny the romance around her. . . .

Genres: Young Adult, Christmas, Romance, Travel, Fiction, Chick Lit, Holiday

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2008

About the author

Catherine (Cathy) Hapka has written more than one hundred books for children and adults, as a ghostwriter for series as well as original titles, including the Romantic Comedies Something Borrowed, The Twelve Date of Christmas, and Love on Cue. She lives in Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of travel books and Christmas, I knew French Kissmas by Catherine Hapka would be a win when I found out about it. The setting is vibrant, and the characters are realistic. After reading this one, I am excited to check out the rest of the books in the S.A.S.S. series.

Full Review on The Candid Cover

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. I loved the descriptions of Paris at the Christmas season and I loved Nicole and her friends talking about the traditions in the various countries. I also loved Nicole’s friendship with Annike. The romance wasn’t my favorite though - I didn’t like that a love triangle was introduced and one of the love interests was very flirtatious with every girl. I could have used a translation for some of the French phrases though.

[Kelly Schnorrbusch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was enjoyable. Being YA, it was clean and a fast read. I liked being in Paris (by book) and spending the holidays there. I kept translating the French on my phone, which took me out of the story a bit. This was nothing groundbreaking, but fun. I would read others in the series to see how those stack up.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me wanna go book a trip to Paris to go there for Christmas. It was beautiful, had some romance in it, along with some drama as well-and of course, the torn between two guys thing that I wish I had but I dont...

But this book is about Nicole Larson who came to Paris to spend Christmas and New Years with her friend Annike, and to also film a promotional video for S.A.S.S. When she gets there, Nicole meets up with her old flame Luc, and automatically their relationship reignites. But on a rainy day, Nicole meets Mike, a cute American boy and she feels relaxed, but then she dosn't when she kissed Luc. And boy was it a kiss.

So while Nicole was boy-confused, she met new people during the trip-Quinn, a loud British girl who wanted to throw herself at Luc, and Nicole got jealous, then snapped at her during a dinner with friends. I forgot the rest of them (my mind goes bad quick, don't it?) but all in all this was a good book, I'm glad Nicole and Luc kissed at the end and honestly I would like to read more from this series.

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute entry in the S.A.S.S. series (Students Across the Seven Seas), which is a set of books telling the stories of exchange students as they experience various countries and cultures. In this one, many of the S.A.S.S. students are returning/going to Paris for a sort of group reunion, in order to help the company put together a video. The main character is Nicole, who was featured in an earlier book, as she returns to Paris with her friends and must make a decision about which boy she would like to have in her life as a boyfriend. This story is okay, but for more cultural interactions between the students and the places and people they are visiting, I think the others are a bit better. That being said, though, this one is still a good entry about the students as they visit Paris.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was horrible. This was my final book of 2023 and it was an utter disappointment. I read this series in middle school, but never managed to read every entry. I'm only halfheartedly aiming to complete the collection, picking them up whenever I spot them at book sales. I haven't read the previous French book featuring this heroine and I'm not looking forward to it after French Kissmas. This novel hardly featured any culture and didn't explain any of the French words. The author only used Paris as a backdrop and vaguely referenced the Eiffel Tower or The Louvre. Unfortunately the main premise of French Kissmas centered around a pathetic love triangle. Nicole was a dumb bunny American who played around with two separate boys and didn't even choose one! I know this was a Christmas special, but couldn't we have gotten a different exchange student to participate?! I'm sure Emily in Paris would have done a better job than this oaf Nicole. Although my last book of 2023 was a total dud, I did manage to read 200 books. That's the most books I've ever read in a year, but many of those books were stinkers. I'm aiming for quality not quantity this year. This was a waste of my time, but I'm one book closer to finishing this stinky escargot of a series.

[Kristina Peroni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book as well. As the sequel to Pardon my French, I liked how it contained the same characters and some similar themes. Would definitely recommend to any travellers wishing to travel when things are safer.

[Caitlin Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book but a little young for me

[Clover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please make make a sequel! I need to know what happened to them~!

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Review also on AwesomeBookNuts.blogspot.com*

I picked this up because I was looking for a cute Christmas read. This just wasn't. Cute, I mean. It is a Christmas book. Young people studying abroad at Christmas time. Sure. And apparently it's a sequel, which makes sense. But with all the recapping and allusions to the first book I don't feel like I need to go back and read it at all.

Not much happened in this book. I started out reading every word then got really bored and skimmed the entire book in two hours. I probably should have just stopped reading but I thought, "Cute little Christmas read in Paris! What could go wrong?"

For starters, the main storyline was completely ridiculous and contrived. The drama didn't need to exist at all. It's like the author thought, "You know what would sell a book? A love triangle! Now, how do I work in one of those?" Because there was an unnecessary, unbelievable love triangle. Nicole could have spent a lot more time having fun and a lot less time whining about her love life if she'd just gone with her feelings in the beginning. And what was with Luc, the French guy? He seemed to spend all of his free time with Nicole when he was a local. Did he not have regular friends? Holiday plans? Family nearby? How could he suddenly drop his entire life to hang out with a girl he a) wasn't dating, b) hadn't seen in a year, and c) would only be in town for a few days? Doesn't. Make. Sense.

And the boys acted like girls. This is SUCH a HUGE problem in YA literature!! Massive! It annoys me so much that I have to mention it every time I see it in a book. Grrrr. At one point, Mike, who is one-third of the love triangle, says his buddies will be so excited to hear that he went to the French ballet. Um, no they won't. They're guys. They will call him gay and possibly rag him about it for years. So dumb. And everyone info-dumps in their dialog. EVERYONE! I know way too much about how these characters feel about everything.

So, in short, this was dumb. I shouldn't have wasted my time and you probably shouldn't, either. However, it was a completely clean read that I would feel absolutely safe recommending to a pre-teen if asked for a sweet holiday book to read, especially if they're into Paris or travel. Because it was nice. It was just waaaaaaayyy too immature for me. I'm sure a pre-teen girl would find it cute and endearing and fun. And maybe not quite as corny or contrived as I thought it.

Sexual Content: Mild (some kissing)
Language: None
Violence: None
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild (one scene of drinking champagne)

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the only S.A.S.S. book to feature a return heroine, Nicole has been expanding her horizons somewhat by taking the year off before college to travel around Europe. Now she's back in Paris for a few weeks to revisit old haunts and get embroiled in a love triangle take part in an S.A.S.S. promotional video.

I had a much easier time with this one than with Pardon My French, in large part I think because Nicole's been gifted with a personality and a spine. (She's also been saddled with a giggly, ditzy best friend, but let's just not go there.)

That said, it's pretty thin on plot. For all that the video is the official reason for Nicole's return to Paris, she spends most of her time careening back and forth between two boys, one of whom is as all-American as all-American can be and the other of whom is as flirtatiously...well...flirtatious as can be. Some other characters run around throwing drama across the page, but they generally aren't very well fleshed out. I do like Annike (and I kind of wanted the reality show she's considering auditioning for to be a spin-off series...), and I appreciate that the author makes a point to send Nicole all over Paris. But for a follow-up book that's supposed to be about romance, it's kind of...light on the romance, heavy on the manufactured triangle, and mostly devoid of other plot.

All of which is to say: Still an improvement over the first one, but I'm looking forward to moving on to another country.


More general look at the series here.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

FRENCH KISSMAS is another installment of the Students Across the Seven Seas series.

Nicole Larson is going to spend the holiday season in Paris. The previous year she studied in Paris and enjoyed her time there immensely. She had a great host family. She made a wonderful friend. And she had romantic chemistry with Luc. But knowing she wasn't staying in Paris permanently, she made Luc know that they could only ever be friends. They lived too far apart.

Nicole and her friend, Annike, are among a handful of past S.A.S.S. students who have come to Paris to assist in filming a promotional video for the program. They meet some new people, including Mike, who is also from America. The filming keeps them all busy, but they still manage to see some nightlife.

Luc wants to be more than friends, but Nicole is constantly keeping him at a distance. On the other hand, Mike is trying to worm his way into Nicole's heart. Nicole explains to both suitors that she just wants to be friends. Her head is being rationale that she just needs friends, but her heart is trying to tell her something else...about Luc.

This is a sweet, romantic read. Set in a sparkling city during a festive time of the year, readers will fall in love with Paris. They'll also enjoy the misadventures that befall Nicole as she tries to convince herself that she can remain just friends with both of the cute boys.

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book French Kissmas is an enjoyable story. It follows Nicole as she returns to Europe, as a former SASS participant, to be in a commercial to promote the SASS program along with many other former SASS participants. Nicole, also referred to as Nic by her friends, gets to see some of her old friends she made the year before when she first traveled to Paris. Nic gets to once again be with her friend Annike who she had met on her past trip. Nic also gets to see her friend Luke who lives in Paris, he is an obvious flirt but shows more feelings towards Nic than other girls. Nic realizes this and at least at first refuses to acknowledge it because she will only be there for two weeks so whats the point in started a relationship that will likely not last the distance once she leaves. Nic befriends Mike, another student in the SASS program, they end up having more in common with each other than she originally realized. Not far after Mike develops a crush on Nic, and Nic is unsure which guy she truly likes as boyfriend material.
I enjoyed the story overall, it had great descriptions and plot ideas. Also it was very predictable, in many of its situations, which made it boring sometimes to read. I would definitely recommend the story to hopeless lovers like me who need something to read and be satisfied with.

[Istiningdyah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is the sequel of Pardon My French. It follows the same character, Nicole. Except that now Nicole has grown after her previous sass program in French. She's more open minded, eager to try something new, and currently travelling around the Europe. Since it's a sequel, so there's not much about the sass program itself. She just happen to be in Europe when an invitation from sass came to her. In Paris, of course there's Luc. A college guy who has a crush on Nic. Though based on the way Luc speaks, he seems a lot older than he actually is. He also flirts a lot, like A LOT, to every girl in the room. I don't think that's attractive at all. Since what I love from the sass book is the culture that's being presented in the book and the study program, this book isn't what I'm looking for. French Kissmas focuses more on Nic's life post-sass program (and her platonic friendship with Luc).

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the idea of the S.A.S.S. series because it seems sort of neat having a education experience where you can travel around.Anyway, I mostly picked up this book because I was in the Christmas book spirit and someone mentioned this title. It was actually a pretty good read and kept me mostly entertained throughout. I don't think there was too much regarding Christmas though except near the end because throughout most of the novel they mentioned it occasionally. Overall, it was a decent read and I haven't read many of the other novels in the series but I'm guessing that in this installment there was a lot of past characters brought up again just by reading a little bit about some of their pasts.

[Jordan Clouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

"French Kissmas" by Cathy Hapka was a very good book. It was very interesting and exciting book. It was really cool how they spoke some words in French. I didn't know what they meant though. This book took place in Paris and during Christmas. I loved the book.

Nicole the main character is in the traveling club and she has to make all these choices or else she will be sad. There are two guys that both like her but she doesn't want a relationship. Things start to get stressful and upsetting. She eventually chooses a guy.

I recommend this book to only girls because it is romantic and in Paris. Also there is a lot of drama. I loved the book it was really good. I'm excited to read the rest of the series.

[Anna Karras · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sequel to Pardon My French, Nicole is taking the year after high school to travel. Just about Christmas, and she returns to Paris, where she spent a semester the previous year. She reunites with Annike, her best friend from the exhange program, new friends who are helping with a promotional video for her study abroad program, and Luc, the adorable manny who worked for her host family. She is only there for a few weeks, and she is torn between the mad sparks flying between her and Luc, the new friendship between her and Mike, a new exchange student, and with not getting involved at all. She is leaving in just 3 weeks, right?

[Meagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The books centers around Nicole an American college-aged girl who is taking a gap year before starting college. She returns to Paris, where she had spent a semester studying abroad the year before. It was a cute book, a quick read, but it was fairly predictable, and there wasn't a lot of plot. I felt like none of the characters besides Nicole were well developed and that they were there just to further her own agenda instead of contributing something to the story. It was cute and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a beach read or a book to read that won't be too strenuous during the summer.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicole is back in Paris to film a promotional video for the SASS program, but she is a different girl than the one who arrived in Paris eighteen months before. She is much more open to new experiences and is looking forward to seeing old friends and making new during the filming. Her friend Annike from Stockholm is in town also, and Luc, the hot Parisian guy she met last year and can't quite make up her mind about. As the holidays near, Nicole doens't want any complications, but Luc may have other ideas . . .

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually picked this book up not knowing of the first. It was alright, it didn't have enough "spice" for me, but I easily read it within a few hours. I really would love to do a program like mentioned in this bool haha, seems like a fun experience. Anyways, I am unsure if I'll read the first and go backwards, but it's not something I would recommend to someone looking for a serious good read. More of a quick, holiday plane ride read.=P Happy Holidays--ironically I read this on christmas day.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character, Nicole Larsen, has grown a lot since the last book and it's lovely to hear about her travels around European countries I can only dream of visiting but I don't like how the author has ended each of the books (Pardon my French and French Kissmas). Both have ended very abruptly and it feels like there should be more... without the feeling of wanting to find out what happened after. Also, if I never read the female protagonist describing the "butt-hugging" pants the male protagonist is wearing again, it'll be too soon.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

French Kissmas is the sequel to Pardon My French. The main character, Nicole Larson, is back in Paris to shoot a promotional video about the Students Across the Seven Seas (S.A.S.S.) exchange program. She enjoys reconnecting with her old friends and meets a new boy, Mike. However, seeing her ex boyfriend Luc might change her feelings about Mike.

Basically, it is an average book, but I liked it because of the flashes of French culture.

[Nana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am quite happy with the ending, I guess.

Nicole Larson is back, except this time, she's mega independent and totally knows what she wants. When she goes back to Paris for a shooting of a video for the S.A.S.S. website, she meets her old friends and gets some new ones, confusing Nicole and her independantness--it is in Paris (again) that she truly finds herself.

This book could have been a bit better I think.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pleasant if fairly forgettable series that I like to get for my library because the books usually have gentle romances that are appropriate for middle school readers, and the international settings offer at least some change from the endless parade of public high schools and malls in this genre.

[Kiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never doubted Nicole would pick that other guy! I love to got to Paris, and I wish I could go to an exchange student program! Its sounds like so much fun! Plus, I really enjoyed this book, it didn't disappoint me at all, its just as great ass the first one.

[Avi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good. I was very suprised at the ending although. I always knew from the very beginning that Nicole should choose Luc and she finally did. In the middle, I thought that she would choose Mike instead for she was so down- to- Earth.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting series - recent high school graduates travel the world, finding friendship, adventure, love, and themselves. I was pleasantly surprised, especially at the fact that foreign phrases and words interspersed in the text weren't translated. Conversations are written very naturally.

[Danni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long drawn out story. The person is supposed to be around 19 and is acting like 12 with the level if indecision in her relationships. I get that it's for teens... But it really isn't... It's a little young.

[Charlotte Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a little too much focus on if she should get into a relationship and which guy should she choose if she did get into a relationship. Quick and easy read though with a bit of holiday flair. Wish there had been more about Paris life though.

[MAGGIE=) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this one!!! When I read the first one I had no idea that there was a second one and it is rocking so far!!!

-Maggie