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Love Stories: Year Abroad Trilogy #1-3
A Year In Europe
MEET THE GIRLS of A Year in Europe, a collection of three interconnecting novels about the adventures of traveling abroad.
Her junior year abroad in London takes a surprising turn when she falls for British hottie Kit.
Paris is the City of Love, and Dana's on a mission to find a gorgeous French boyfriend.
She's crazy about Antonio, her Italian dream guy. If Carrie tells him the truth about her American heritage, she might lose him forever.
A Year in Europe. Three unforgettable stories. One unforgettable journey.
Her junior year abroad in London takes a surprising turn when she falls for British hottie Kit.
Paris is the City of Love, and Dana's on a mission to find a gorgeous French boyfriend.
She's crazy about Antonio, her Italian dream guy. If Carrie tells him the truth about her American heritage, she might lose him forever.
A Year in Europe. Three unforgettable stories. One unforgettable journey.
544 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 11, 2007
About the author
Rachel Hawthorne
30 books1,625 followersaka Jade Parker and also writes with her son as J.A. London
(also writes romance under Lorraine Heath)
Rachel Hawthorne, who also writes as Lorraine Heath and Jade Parker, is the daughter of a British beauty (her mother won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero-who played the Joker on the old Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Herts, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan. She enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She writes for both adult and young adult readers. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Americana historicals. Her novels have been recognized with a RITA, Romance Writers of America’s most prestigious award for excellence, a HOLT medallion award honoring outstanding literary fiction, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, five Texas Gold Awards, the Golden Quill Award, the Rising Star Award as well as other awards and recognitions. Her novels have been selections of the Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Club. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA Today, Waldenbooks, and most recently, the New York Times.
(also writes romance under Lorraine Heath)
Rachel Hawthorne, who also writes as Lorraine Heath and Jade Parker, is the daughter of a British beauty (her mother won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero-who played the Joker on the old Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Herts, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan. She enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She writes for both adult and young adult readers. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Americana historicals. Her novels have been recognized with a RITA, Romance Writers of America’s most prestigious award for excellence, a HOLT medallion award honoring outstanding literary fiction, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, five Texas Gold Awards, the Golden Quill Award, the Rising Star Award as well as other awards and recognitions. Her novels have been selections of the Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Club. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA Today, Waldenbooks, and most recently, the New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 2, 2010
Rachel Hawthorne is one of my favorite authors and I can't exactly explain why but her books always speak to the romantic in me and linger in my mind after I have read them. Quite a few find their way onto my keeper shelf so I am always interested in reading other books by her.
This book is actually 3 books together in one about 3 best friends from a small town in Texas that go into the Year Aboard study program. Robin will be studying in London and gets a surprise when her host 'sister' turns out to be a 'brother' and a gorgeous one at that. Robin has always been loud and completely a farm girl through and through and tries to reinvent herself when she goes to London. She loves Princess Diana and hopes to become a soft spoken refined girl when she returns to Texas. As a result, Robin hides her true personality and accent from her host family and classmates. Kit, her host brother, would actually like a change from all the polished reserved English girls he is surrounded by and is disappointed that Robin seems so reserved. Or Does She?
Dana is One of Robin's Best Friends and will be studying in Paris for the year. She has just gotten out of a horrible relationship with a "good ol' boy" from back home and is determined to find romance with a French guy this year. She is irritated and surprised to find Alex Turner from her High School in Texas as a year aboard student at the same school as she is and in 3 of her Art Classes. Both Alex and Dana want to lose themselves in romance of France but continually find themselves thrown together and relying on each other. Maybe the best laid plans are what they really want?
The last story is about Carrie who is half Italian and decides to spend the year in Rome where she has relatives. Carrie is fluent in Italian and helps out at her Uncle's Resturant where she meets Antonio. Antonio dislikes Americans because of the tourists he has waited on. Carrie decides to teach Antonio a lesson and make him fall for her and then tell him she is an American. But it backfires on her when she finds out that he is responsible for her younger sisters, kind and really likes her.
The books are told from both persectives and give insight into both the guys and girls. My favorite was the Paris story with Dana and Alex probably because of the romance and how they fight themselves while falling in love with each other. This is a great book for a simple romances that are not too involved.
This book is actually 3 books together in one about 3 best friends from a small town in Texas that go into the Year Aboard study program. Robin will be studying in London and gets a surprise when her host 'sister' turns out to be a 'brother' and a gorgeous one at that. Robin has always been loud and completely a farm girl through and through and tries to reinvent herself when she goes to London. She loves Princess Diana and hopes to become a soft spoken refined girl when she returns to Texas. As a result, Robin hides her true personality and accent from her host family and classmates. Kit, her host brother, would actually like a change from all the polished reserved English girls he is surrounded by and is disappointed that Robin seems so reserved. Or Does She?
Dana is One of Robin's Best Friends and will be studying in Paris for the year. She has just gotten out of a horrible relationship with a "good ol' boy" from back home and is determined to find romance with a French guy this year. She is irritated and surprised to find Alex Turner from her High School in Texas as a year aboard student at the same school as she is and in 3 of her Art Classes. Both Alex and Dana want to lose themselves in romance of France but continually find themselves thrown together and relying on each other. Maybe the best laid plans are what they really want?
The last story is about Carrie who is half Italian and decides to spend the year in Rome where she has relatives. Carrie is fluent in Italian and helps out at her Uncle's Resturant where she meets Antonio. Antonio dislikes Americans because of the tourists he has waited on. Carrie decides to teach Antonio a lesson and make him fall for her and then tell him she is an American. But it backfires on her when she finds out that he is responsible for her younger sisters, kind and really likes her.
The books are told from both persectives and give insight into both the guys and girls. My favorite was the Paris story with Dana and Alex probably because of the romance and how they fight themselves while falling in love with each other. This is a great book for a simple romances that are not too involved.
May 6, 2011
(Review was originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
It's always been a dream of mine to visit Europe; London and Paris are the top two cities that I want to visit in particular. So when I accidentally found this book in Borders about a week ago, I immediately read the synopsis and found myself intrigued - three love stories set against the backdrop of London, Paris and Rome? It was no question that I would buy the book.
Overall, the book was a good read. I enjoyed immersing myself into the world of the three main characters (Robin, Dana and Carrie) and reading about their experiences during their Year Abroad in their respective European cities (London, Paris and Rome). It's always a pleasant experience for me to read about Europe, and about sights and experiences that I'm hoping to have there someday.
(1)
The first story is set in London, and stars Robin and her host brother Kit. I think, out of all three novels, this one was the one I liked the least.
I liked Robin... when she was being Texan Robin. I wanted to throw the book at a wall in frustration when I kept reading about how she tried so hard to change who she was. I'm definitely glad she learned her lesson in the end.
I liked Kit... when he wasn't being silly about his "girlfriend". I kept wanting to tell him to dump her because I didn't like her. I liked him in general though because I kept imagining him as a cute Brit boy, which is basically my type.
Their story had an air of predictability about it, for certain, but I do love how they finally get their acts together in the end. It was quite cute actually, so that's a positive, I suppose.
(2)
The second story is set in Paris, and stars Dana and her high school batch mate Alex. Out of the three, this is definitely, hands down, my favorite story.
I liked Dana because she reminded me of me. She was attuned to her sense of creativity, determined to live out her dreams and well, tended towards being sensitive and romantic and a dreamer. Her character was easy to fall in love with.
I loved Alex though. He's definitely my type - a quiet, unassumingly handsome boy, who's got creativity flowing in his veins, coupled with a sensitivity and romantic side. You can't help falling in love with his character, especially when he reveals his vulnerability.
Their story made me smile; I felt all warm and fuzzy when it reached it's conclusion (which I couldn't have been more pleased with). It's truly a lovely story and perfectly set against the backdrop of the City of Romance.
(3)
The third and last story is set in Rome, starring Carrie and Antonio. I liked the story well enough, but I guess it was mostly towards the ending when I really got into it.
Carrie's an interesting character, but I kind of got mad at her when she decided to trick Antonio. She did make up for it in the end though, so everything turned out just fine.
Antonio also annoyed me when he made that presumptous statement about Americans, but totally made up for that too. I did like his sense of romance and the way he expressed himself.
I like how characters from each novel appear in the other novels (like Kit and Robin coming to visit Dana in Paris, and how Kit, Robin, Dana and Alex all show up in Rome for Carrie's party). I also liked the private chatroom that Robin, Dana and Carrie share - it reminds me of my own friends and how we have something similar too.
All in all, I prefer this book by Rachel much more than the first one I read. It's an nice, easy to read piece of young adult chick lit and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
It's always been a dream of mine to visit Europe; London and Paris are the top two cities that I want to visit in particular. So when I accidentally found this book in Borders about a week ago, I immediately read the synopsis and found myself intrigued - three love stories set against the backdrop of London, Paris and Rome? It was no question that I would buy the book.
Overall, the book was a good read. I enjoyed immersing myself into the world of the three main characters (Robin, Dana and Carrie) and reading about their experiences during their Year Abroad in their respective European cities (London, Paris and Rome). It's always a pleasant experience for me to read about Europe, and about sights and experiences that I'm hoping to have there someday.
(1)
The first story is set in London, and stars Robin and her host brother Kit. I think, out of all three novels, this one was the one I liked the least.
I liked Robin... when she was being Texan Robin. I wanted to throw the book at a wall in frustration when I kept reading about how she tried so hard to change who she was. I'm definitely glad she learned her lesson in the end.
I liked Kit... when he wasn't being silly about his "girlfriend". I kept wanting to tell him to dump her because I didn't like her. I liked him in general though because I kept imagining him as a cute Brit boy, which is basically my type.
Their story had an air of predictability about it, for certain, but I do love how they finally get their acts together in the end. It was quite cute actually, so that's a positive, I suppose.
(2)
The second story is set in Paris, and stars Dana and her high school batch mate Alex. Out of the three, this is definitely, hands down, my favorite story.
I liked Dana because she reminded me of me. She was attuned to her sense of creativity, determined to live out her dreams and well, tended towards being sensitive and romantic and a dreamer. Her character was easy to fall in love with.
I loved Alex though. He's definitely my type - a quiet, unassumingly handsome boy, who's got creativity flowing in his veins, coupled with a sensitivity and romantic side. You can't help falling in love with his character, especially when he reveals his vulnerability.
Their story made me smile; I felt all warm and fuzzy when it reached it's conclusion (which I couldn't have been more pleased with). It's truly a lovely story and perfectly set against the backdrop of the City of Romance.
(3)
The third and last story is set in Rome, starring Carrie and Antonio. I liked the story well enough, but I guess it was mostly towards the ending when I really got into it.
Carrie's an interesting character, but I kind of got mad at her when she decided to trick Antonio. She did make up for it in the end though, so everything turned out just fine.
Antonio also annoyed me when he made that presumptous statement about Americans, but totally made up for that too. I did like his sense of romance and the way he expressed himself.
I like how characters from each novel appear in the other novels (like Kit and Robin coming to visit Dana in Paris, and how Kit, Robin, Dana and Alex all show up in Rome for Carrie's party). I also liked the private chatroom that Robin, Dana and Carrie share - it reminds me of my own friends and how we have something similar too.
All in all, I prefer this book by Rachel much more than the first one I read. It's an nice, easy to read piece of young adult chick lit and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Read
December 6, 2010I can honestly say this is one of the cheesiest love stories i have ever read! However, that being said, it was also one of the funnest. It was an easy read, with a fairly good plot. The novel was split up into three parts about three friends and the idea of the novel was a good one. However, though repition can be a good thing, in this case it wasn't. It made for a very long book to read. Although I didn't enjoy the book, I did like one of the characters, Robin. She was a light-spirited character that was fun and up-lifting. She
July 6, 2020
Review to come!
May 13, 2008
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Three best friends from Texas set out together to spend a year of high school in Europe's biggest cities.
Kit travels to London to try and become a proper lady. She believes that she'll have a new sister as a housemate -- imagine her surprise when Robin turns out to be a boy (and a real hottie!). Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend with serious snark aimed at Kit and all of her traveling blunders.
Dana journeys to Paris for a romantic relationship, but instead she seems to always run into a boy from Texas. To make things worse, she keeps thinking about him when all she wants is to be swept off her feet by a Frenchman.
Carrie spends her year in Rome, where her father still has family. While working at the family restaurant, she meets a gorgeous waiter who happens to hate Americans. She tricks him by blending into the Italian world and now she knows her heart will break when he learns the truth.
All three girls come to terms with themselves and romance during their year abroad. Read this novel and be swept off your feet while traveling the world in your pajamas. Rachel Hawthorne is one of the top writers of teen romance!
Three best friends from Texas set out together to spend a year of high school in Europe's biggest cities.
Kit travels to London to try and become a proper lady. She believes that she'll have a new sister as a housemate -- imagine her surprise when Robin turns out to be a boy (and a real hottie!). Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend with serious snark aimed at Kit and all of her traveling blunders.
Dana journeys to Paris for a romantic relationship, but instead she seems to always run into a boy from Texas. To make things worse, she keeps thinking about him when all she wants is to be swept off her feet by a Frenchman.
Carrie spends her year in Rome, where her father still has family. While working at the family restaurant, she meets a gorgeous waiter who happens to hate Americans. She tricks him by blending into the Italian world and now she knows her heart will break when he learns the truth.
All three girls come to terms with themselves and romance during their year abroad. Read this novel and be swept off your feet while traveling the world in your pajamas. Rachel Hawthorne is one of the top writers of teen romance!
January 12, 2011
A story about three best friends in an exchange program at school, who go off to Europe for a year. One goes to England, the second France and then the third to Italy. Petty conflict ensues in every tale, where each girl then SURPRISE! ends up living happily ever after with the boy of her dreams. A light, fun read for cuddling up in bed on cold, winter nights with a cup of hot chocolate and a big blanket. Nothing too exciting happens though, your typical, clichéd teenage romance. And definitely rated PG.
August 17, 2008
As this book says, it is three novels in one book. I made it through the first one. I used to torture myself and make myself finish every book I started. Then I wised up and realized there are way too many good books out there to agonize over ones I don't love. This book was very cliched and cookie cutter boring. I don't recommend it, unless you have a lot of time to kill!
February 17, 2011
This was the first actual teen romance novel that I had ever read. At first, I wasn't very eager to read it. But as soon as I started reading the first chapter, I was literally hooked. I liked the way the other wrote it from the point of view of two people. I definitely recommend this book to all people who like romance books.
August 8, 2019
Overall, these stories were cute. The setting of each country was really well done.
London (Robin and Kit): 2 stars
I liked this one the least. Robin seemed completely clueless about life in England. She didn’t even know they drive on the left! You’d think that she would have done some research about the place she’s going to be living. I also didn’t like that she wasn’t herself, though she did learn from it at the end.
Paris (Dana and Alex): 4 stars
My favorite of the three. They had many sweet moments together, and had more of a friendship to more relationship, which is one of my favorite tropes.
Rome (Carrie and Antonio): 3 stars
It was cute, but I wish Carrie had come clean sooner. I liked Antonio and he and Carrie did have many sweet moments. I especially liked the way Carrie was sweet to his sisters. Also, the name Carrina is really pretty.
London (Robin and Kit): 2 stars
I liked this one the least. Robin seemed completely clueless about life in England. She didn’t even know they drive on the left! You’d think that she would have done some research about the place she’s going to be living. I also didn’t like that she wasn’t herself, though she did learn from it at the end.
Paris (Dana and Alex): 4 stars
My favorite of the three. They had many sweet moments together, and had more of a friendship to more relationship, which is one of my favorite tropes.
Rome (Carrie and Antonio): 3 stars
It was cute, but I wish Carrie had come clean sooner. I liked Antonio and he and Carrie did have many sweet moments. I especially liked the way Carrie was sweet to his sisters. Also, the name Carrina is really pretty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2018
This book (which includes three stories) was absolutely fabulous. I would probably reread it whenever I want to have a fun get away. Each of the stories take place in beautiful European cities- London, Paris, Rome. The characters were also so great and relatable, this is definitely one of my favorite books.
December 5, 2017
YA romance trilogy. Set in London, Paris, and Rome, three girls spend a year abroad and find love and happiness -- but not in the way they think they will. All the girls show growth throughout the year.
August 13, 2021
I tried and I tried...so cheesy, so repetitive. DNF like 2/3 of the way through. Some of it was just stupid. Sometimes I enjoy the stupid stuff bc its easy to read and such but this one was just mind numbing. Some good stuff I guess but nothing worth finishing :/
January 30, 2023
I loved all three of these stories!!! Heartwarming with the right amount of real-life lessons.
March 9, 2024
robin’s novel was good, dana’s novel was amazing, and carrie’s novel was ok. i did not feel any connection between antonio and carrie whatsoever. but the other two novels i did feel chemistry.
February 1, 2025
these damn teens more experienced than me fyck them
February 2, 2014
This is one of my absolute favorite young adult/ teen fiction novels. I have probably read it 10 times I love it so much. What can I say it's my guilty pleasure.
The story follow three best friends: Robin, Dana, and Carrie who spend a year abroad to absorb the cultures of the three different places they each choose. Robin chooses England, Dana chooses France to find romance, and Carries chooses Italy to visit family
*SPOILER ALERT*
Each of course has a love story that unfolds. Robin travels to England because she wants to learn how to be a proper lady, and finds to her surprise that her host sibling is a boy! She assumed that he was a girl, since his name was Kit. He assumed she was a boy, because her name is Robin. They're story is really quite cute, with Kit's attempts to be brotherly coupled with his attraction to Robin; it doesn't help he has a girlfriend too.
Dana and Alex's story was my absolute favorite of the three. Dana is searching for romance in the City of Lights, expecting poetry, stolen kisses, and moonlit walks along the Seine. She gets neither. All of her encounters with French boys fail, and she keeps running into an "annoying" boy from her hometown in Texas. UGH! The last thing she needs (I say this both affectionately and mockingly). It doesn't help that Alex is everything she wants, and that they have incredible chemistry. Seriously though, they're sexual tension is amazing. He's so sweet, and adorable. His point of view about her is also so sweet too. The way he describes her. They're story had me swooning and squealing with delight. Yes, go ahead, roll your eyes, but I'm a sucker for this stuff.
Carrie and Antonio's story was cute, but not as great as Alex and Dana's. Carrie overhears Antonio complaining about Americans, and saying how much he hates them. So of course, Carrie comes up with this brilliant idea to make him fall in love with her thinking that she is 100% Italian, and then reveal that she's American once he's fallen for her. Well, you guessed it. He falls in love with her, because she's beautiful, and smart, and funny, and all that. But her plan backfires, because he feels betrayed an upset. I wasn't really too surprised about that. I found this story to be the least compelling of all three of the stories.
But overall, I did really love this book. I recommend this to every girl who loves romance.
The story follow three best friends: Robin, Dana, and Carrie who spend a year abroad to absorb the cultures of the three different places they each choose. Robin chooses England, Dana chooses France to find romance, and Carries chooses Italy to visit family
*SPOILER ALERT*
Each of course has a love story that unfolds. Robin travels to England because she wants to learn how to be a proper lady, and finds to her surprise that her host sibling is a boy! She assumed that he was a girl, since his name was Kit. He assumed she was a boy, because her name is Robin. They're story is really quite cute, with Kit's attempts to be brotherly coupled with his attraction to Robin; it doesn't help he has a girlfriend too.
Dana and Alex's story was my absolute favorite of the three. Dana is searching for romance in the City of Lights, expecting poetry, stolen kisses, and moonlit walks along the Seine. She gets neither. All of her encounters with French boys fail, and she keeps running into an "annoying" boy from her hometown in Texas. UGH! The last thing she needs (I say this both affectionately and mockingly). It doesn't help that Alex is everything she wants, and that they have incredible chemistry. Seriously though, they're sexual tension is amazing. He's so sweet, and adorable. His point of view about her is also so sweet too. The way he describes her. They're story had me swooning and squealing with delight. Yes, go ahead, roll your eyes, but I'm a sucker for this stuff.
Carrie and Antonio's story was cute, but not as great as Alex and Dana's. Carrie overhears Antonio complaining about Americans, and saying how much he hates them. So of course, Carrie comes up with this brilliant idea to make him fall in love with her thinking that she is 100% Italian, and then reveal that she's American once he's fallen for her. Well, you guessed it. He falls in love with her, because she's beautiful, and smart, and funny, and all that. But her plan backfires, because he feels betrayed an upset. I wasn't really too surprised about that. I found this story to be the least compelling of all three of the stories.
But overall, I did really love this book. I recommend this to every girl who loves romance.
August 16, 2012
I love this book. Cuz I am a romantic softy. This book is all about romance and friendship. There is three different stories about three best friends who have serious guy troubles. Their names are Robin, Dana and Carrie.
Robin: So Robin goes to Lodon for a year and she thought that if she went that it would change her and the way she acted. All everything went down hill when she meets her host sister and finds out that it is a hot guy. So her hot "Bro" is sweet and kind to her and she really likes him but there is one catch... He has a hot girlfriend.
Dana: She is going to Paris for a year to find some romance from some french hottie. Though, when she meets up with Alex(A guy from her school) she strats having second thought. But can she make him like her instead of a French Goddess? Or is her dream of being able to find Romance to far fetched that she can't have the best year in Paris.
Carrie:When Carrie goes to Rome she wants to be able to experanice the heratige that she loves. Though does she do hat? No instread she found her dream guy Antonio that is the perfect guy for her but there is one last catch..he hates Americans and well.. she really hasn't told him that she is a american abd what will he think if she does? Would it have been easier that he didn't come into her life.
Thant is my review of the book. So read this book if you want to see if these three besties can handle their YEAR IN EUROPE.
Robin: So Robin goes to Lodon for a year and she thought that if she went that it would change her and the way she acted. All everything went down hill when she meets her host sister and finds out that it is a hot guy. So her hot "Bro" is sweet and kind to her and she really likes him but there is one catch... He has a hot girlfriend.
Dana: She is going to Paris for a year to find some romance from some french hottie. Though, when she meets up with Alex(A guy from her school) she strats having second thought. But can she make him like her instead of a French Goddess? Or is her dream of being able to find Romance to far fetched that she can't have the best year in Paris.
Carrie:When Carrie goes to Rome she wants to be able to experanice the heratige that she loves. Though does she do hat? No instread she found her dream guy Antonio that is the perfect guy for her but there is one last catch..he hates Americans and well.. she really hasn't told him that she is a american abd what will he think if she does? Would it have been easier that he didn't come into her life.
Thant is my review of the book. So read this book if you want to see if these three besties can handle their YEAR IN EUROPE.
October 30, 2011
After reading and adoring Anna and the French Kiss, I was looking for a book that would provide the same romantic escape. A Year in Europe was perfect because it could provide three escapes in one: to London, Paris, and Rome. While the stories did not disappoint in the aspect of culture, the romance was severely lacking in my opinion.
I didn't believe any of the relationships between the couples. Their relationships were built on cliches that are so overused in YA lit, they were almost cringeworthy. There were several instances in which the same imagery and cliches were used in all three novels. While the novel is called A Year in Europe, the stories actually cover only a week in the characters' lives and after only a week, the characters are already declaring their love for each other. With the relationships unbelievable, the fact that they said they were in love only days into their relationship was extremely unbelievable as well.
However, I greatly admired the author's portraits of the European cities. She definitely did her research and there were so many fun, interesting facts about the cities and cultures strewn throughout the novel that I fell in love with the cities, definitely more than I fell in love with the characters.
I didn't believe any of the relationships between the couples. Their relationships were built on cliches that are so overused in YA lit, they were almost cringeworthy. There were several instances in which the same imagery and cliches were used in all three novels. While the novel is called A Year in Europe, the stories actually cover only a week in the characters' lives and after only a week, the characters are already declaring their love for each other. With the relationships unbelievable, the fact that they said they were in love only days into their relationship was extremely unbelievable as well.
However, I greatly admired the author's portraits of the European cities. She definitely did her research and there were so many fun, interesting facts about the cities and cultures strewn throughout the novel that I fell in love with the cities, definitely more than I fell in love with the characters.
December 31, 2013
2.5 stars
A Year in Europe is the three stories of three best friends, Robin, Dana, and Carrie who are spending a year of high school abroad in London, Paris, and Rome respectively, and the boys they end up falling for. This is the kind of book I would have loved four years ago and can still mildly enjoy now. The girls all have distinctive voices, even if their various guys sound quite unrealistic, and the book is generally a fun quick read. Hawthorne also does a fine job of creating the atmosphere of Europe, though I was hoping for a few more touristy sights, especially in the London novel. If you really want a good sense of Europe blended with chick lit, look to 13 Little Blue Envelopes or Anna and the French Kiss. Ultimately, fluffy and quick, just like this review.
A Year in Europe is the three stories of three best friends, Robin, Dana, and Carrie who are spending a year of high school abroad in London, Paris, and Rome respectively, and the boys they end up falling for. This is the kind of book I would have loved four years ago and can still mildly enjoy now. The girls all have distinctive voices, even if their various guys sound quite unrealistic, and the book is generally a fun quick read. Hawthorne also does a fine job of creating the atmosphere of Europe, though I was hoping for a few more touristy sights, especially in the London novel. If you really want a good sense of Europe blended with chick lit, look to 13 Little Blue Envelopes or Anna and the French Kiss. Ultimately, fluffy and quick, just like this review.
September 19, 2011
This book compiles the stories of Robin, Dana and Carrie as they set off from Mustang, Texas to Europe for a year abroad. They each have goals of finding romance and changing their lives. Robin goes to England, determined to become refined like Princess Di. She falls for her host brother, Kit, but realizes that he wants the real Robin. Dana goes to Paris to work on her art and find a romantic French guy to fall in love with. What she doesn't expect is the feelings that pop up whenever Alex from Texas is around. Carrie is in Rome, where she tries to teach a bigoted Antonio a lesson about Americans. Unfortunately, this lesson backfires when she falls for Antonio and must reveal her deception.
These were cute stories with good messages. The characters were easy to like and understand, and I absolutely loved the travel theme :)
These were cute stories with good messages. The characters were easy to like and understand, and I absolutely loved the travel theme :)
March 9, 2011
- I wasn't sure if I should count these stories as one book or not, but I found out you can buy each story separately! My first Rachel Hawthorne book was Caribbean Cruising which I enjoyed. The Europe stories were very predictable, dramatic, and juvenile.
+ The London story reminded me of the cute British penpal I had in 11th grade, the Paris story was my favorite because it was the most realistic, and I liked the Italy section because it reminded me a little bit of my trip to Rome!
- The three main girls were annoying and I often wanted to strangle them haha. But at the same time, it reminded me of how indecisive and dramatic girls were in high school.
+ The London story reminded me of the cute British penpal I had in 11th grade, the Paris story was my favorite because it was the most realistic, and I liked the Italy section because it reminded me a little bit of my trip to Rome!
- The three main girls were annoying and I often wanted to strangle them haha. But at the same time, it reminded me of how indecisive and dramatic girls were in high school.
April 7, 2011
In a "A Year In Europe" we follow Robin to the U.K, Dana to Paris and Carrie to Rome. AS you read each story we watch as the three best friends fall in love. Out of all the friends Robin's story was my least favourite. My favourite story in the whole book is Dana and Alex's story it was just so cute and full ahhhhhh moments. Carrie's and Antonio was the story that surpised me the most with how much I loved it and the characters. From the summary I thought Antonio was going to be a complete jerk and he was a little bit but he had his reasons. All in all I loved "A Year In Europe" and is a great YA chick lit read.
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June 15, 2008This three in one book was pretty good, yet after awhile it seemed to drag on. A good pointer is that everything ended with a happy ending =]. What I learned from this is that a guy who you like can only deserve to see your true self, that romance isn't what it seems to be, and the truth is to never be forgotten.
February 2, 2012
It is so cheesy I found myself smiling to myself (on the train) at the predicaments the girls found themselves in. Was it predictable? Yes. Was it over the top? Hell Yeah! But such an easy read. A bit repetitive at times and obvious that the lead characters are so dumb, but I could relate to their denial of situations =p. My fave story was Dana & Alex (the Paris exchange).
January 16, 2014
It took me a while to finish this book, because a lot of things happened in my life, but seriously... The "Love Stories" series can make me feel so young again, and I can remember when I was only a teen, wishing to live one of the stories. For this trilogy, I have no words except LET ME BE THE NEXT YA STUDENT, PLEASE! I'LL TAKE ROME, LONDON OR PARIS, IT DOESN'T MATTER, I LOVED ALL OF THEM.
February 13, 2021
I originally read this in middle school and loved it. I went through a big Rachel Hawthorne phase.
It's really nothing major and the endings are predictable, but did it get me through middle school thinking I was going to meet my future husband in London? It sure did.
It's like a Hallmark movie for teens.
It's really nothing major and the endings are predictable, but did it get me through middle school thinking I was going to meet my future husband in London? It sure did.
It's like a Hallmark movie for teens.
January 26, 2008
OMGOSH!!! its a relly good book and its romance too, the best thing is that it could really happend 2 anyone!!!!! 3 stories of 3 best friends finding love.
*P.S. its a clean book! nothing out of the line*
*P.S. its a clean book! nothing out of the line*
April 20, 2010
This book was a pretty fun read. And I learned some slang for my trip to London in July. I loved how Hawthorne wove the girls' stories together with emails, phone calls, and visits. It was really wonderful and a really relaxing, fun read.
March 1, 2011
one of the most amazing books I've ever read. I've read it a gazillion times already and it never gets old. It's one of those books that instantly makes you feel better and really makes you believe in love, in case you ever forget.
June 7, 2014
I read this a looooong time ago, in the seventh or eighth grade, and I loved it. I remember the Paris story was my favorite, though. It was the easiest teen romance read ever and since I found it in my closet, I kinda wanna read it again.
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