This was a really fun and engaging young adult contemporary read. It dealt with real life issues, but still provided a sweet romance.

When high school junior Jillian Eldridge shares an unexpected kiss with her long-time neighbor and friend Max Holden, she never expects it morph into something more. But when it does, and when attraction turns into genuine affection, Jillian is left to grapple with these unfamiliar, and deeply unexpected, feelings. A delightful, swoon-worthy debut! Highly recommended.

Another book that didn't work out for me. I think it was because of the cheating. I usually don't mind it when I read, but for some reason I didn't work out for me in this case.

Jillian is caught between her old friendship and her new feelings for Max. His dad had a stroke and is now in a wheelchair. Max is dealing with his feelings with out-of-control actions. One night he climbs into Jill’s room just as they did as childhood friends and they kiss. Now Jill doesn’t know what to think or to do, especially since her father disapproves and Max still has a girlfriend.

I really enjoy the story , while the characters annoyed me at times I still like them. I read the book because i’m a sucker for this type of romance. I really enjoy it , like i said the characters and the decisions might be hard to understand or might be a little annoying but nonetheless I enjoy the story.

Swoon Reads has been haunting my life since it first began a couple of years ago. For every nine atrocious books, there’s one really excellent one that means I will never ever quit Swoon Reads. Kissing Max Holden is one of those; it’s so good that I won’t be able to stop reading these. Upperman brings the shippiness and also some really intense family feels. Kissing Max Holden is a solid, skillfully executed contemporary romance.


Kissing Max Holden is one of those books that I really wouldn’t have expected to like, because, while it’s tropey as hell, it’s not using my favorite tropes. Max and Jillian have the whole bad boy/good girl thing going, as well as friends to lovers. On top of that, Max has a girlfriend for a lot of the book, and they’re sneaking around. But somehow, this book really, really worked for me. That’s the magic of good fiction right there.

So, Max, he’s well…kind of a gigantic mess. He and Jillian were best friends as kids, but they’ve been distant since his father’s stroke. Though his dad survived, neither he nor Max has been the same since. Max was super close to his dad, and Max doesn’t know how to live in this new world where his gregarious father is now in a wheelchair and needs assistance to feed himself. Max reacted to this in the absolute worst way possible: getting drunk, acting up, and fully committing to his toxic girlfriend Becky.

When Max shows up at her window drunk, Jillian lets him in. Things happen and oops they make out. Jillian really doesn’t know what the fuck to feel about any of it, and Max doesn’t really either. Basically, there’s this absurd amount of physical chemistry between them that hadn’t been there before, and they accidentally keep kissing each other.

While I absolutely do not condone cheating, I do find that, now that I’m older, it doesn’t really bother me in YA anymore in some situations. I mean, I’m 30, and they’re actual babies in their first relationships so like they’ll be fine. And, as the book says, they do both feel remorse over their actions, and they’ve learned from what they did. Also, Becky’s the worst; she still doesn’t deserve to be cheated on, but that relationship wasn’t going to last anyway.

Upperman handles the cheating in a nice way by juxtaposing it against an adult cheating plot line. Technically, this part’s going to be spoilery, but it was pretty obvious from the start, so I’m not spoiler tagging. Jillian’s dad is cheating on his pregnant wife. Over the course of the book, Jillian finds out, and she really questions her own behavior. This really highlights the difference in scale between Max’s cheating and Jillian’s dad’s. Teen relationships are much lower stakes; adult relationships impact children and have legal ramifications.

With age, I’ve gotten more forgiving of teens for their mistakes, but I have absolutely no sympathy for shit parents. I never had much, and I think it’s diminishing as I grow older myself. I want to take Jillian’s dad out with a dough hook. View Spoiler » He is the worst, and he doesn’t seem all that sorry. Fuck him.

The strongest element of the book is the ridiculous chemistry between Max and Jillian. It’s just super absurd how much tension there is between the two of them constantly. There’s this scene where they’re sharing a beanbag chair, and it’s so intense but like it’s just a beanbag chair. I absolutely couldn’t put this book down because of it.

Actually, given the massive chemistry and the cheating, you would think this would be a super unhealthy relationship, but it’s really surprisingly not. I like that Jillian eventually takes a stand on the cheating and that she refuses to promise anything until he’s making better life choices. I also like that Max, for all that he seems like this bad boy, is really sensitive and refuses to be a secret just because Jillian’s scared to deal with her own shit. They help each other get through tough times and work towards better mental health. I don’t know if they’ll last forever like they hope to (it’s so cute that Max wants to be with her forever, even if they are babies), but I’m rooting for them.

Good job, Swoon Reads! Your fourth really excellent book! Keep it up, and stop with the terrible trap ones, pls!

This was a super fun read. It was light, fluffy, romantic and swoony. I also thought it raised an important moral question about cheating in relationships. I appreciated how the book raised the question, and I know Jill struggles to work through her guilt, but unfortunately I did also feel like the resolution didn't really deal with consequences entirely brilliantly, and for me, that was what let it down a bit. Also the fact that Max's girlfriend was portrayed as a thoroughly one dimensional unlikable character that I just knew we were steered into not liking. Was it so we could feel better about the main love story? I don't know. But what was a generally fun and romantic read, but it left me with a slightly uncomfortable feeling.

I didn't review this book on my blog for the blog tour mainly because this book just wasn't for me. I tried to read it and had to put it down several times. I ended up getting to page 100 and gave up. DNF! I hate DNFing books but this one like I said just wasn't connecting at all. Sometimes books aren't for every person.

Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman had me WAY TOO emotionally invested. Of all the books I have read from the Swoon Reads imprint thus far, I think that this one may hold the title for my favorite. Although I enjoyed My New Crush Gave To Me a lot, this book had me up in my feelings. I actually find myself really pumped up about whatever Upperman comes out with next due to how excellent Kissing Max Holden was.

Katy Upperman’s debut follows Jillian Eldridge who lives next door to Max Holden. Their families are super close. Max, however, has this girlfriend named Becky (who I assume does not have good hair). One night, Halloween to be precise, Jillian hears a tapping on her window. It is Max. He comes into her room, the two share a kiss. Jillian’s dad catches them and forbids them to be alone together. Meanwhile, Jillian’s stepmother is pregnant. So, Kissing Max Holden follows a few different plot threads – Jillian’s push pull relationship with Max, Jillian’s future hopes of being a pastry chef, and what happens when Jillian becomes a big sister.

Jillian is actually an interesting character and she actually does experience some level of personal growth during this book. Her biggest character trait that stuck out to me is that she’s a foodie. She’s willing to try all kinds of food. Plus she loves cooking and especially baking. It is quite a treat to read about the different treats she is making.

Beyond this character trait, she comes off as a little bit timid although she has several good friends. However, she rarely seems to let her voice be heard especially in regards to her feelings for Max. She always seems to be sort of tiptoeing around stuff. Also, Jillian is not all that into the idea of the new baby — her inner dialogue refers to the baby as a leech. However, she matures and changes and grows. She’s a teenager and this book affirms that. I thought the writing of her character was well done.

The romance is a bit of a slow build. Okay, so the beginning of Kissing Max Holden literally features a kissing scene between Max and Jillian. However, this doesn’t immediately develop into a relationship or romance. First of all, Max is still with his girlfriend Becky. Second of all, Jillian’s dad, much like King Trident, forbids it. These obstacles do make the story more interest. Granted, I will never condone cheating in a million years. It does play a large role in this book. I don’t know, I just think that Upperman handles the difficult situation delicately and I respect how she wrote it.

In all, Katy Upperman’s Kissing Max Holden is a quick read. It’s got some pretty intense and tough situations. I mean, there are some painful scenes in this book. Like, there’s kind of a big reveal that shocked me — it didn’t involve Jillian or Max, but adults. Upperman did a great job with the plotting is what I will say. This book is definitely a good sort of read if you want something that will suck you right in with drama that is not quite over the top.

This was an interesting read, particularly all the drama between the characters and their toxic relationship dynamics. Jill and Max have been longtime friends, but after Max's father has a stroke, Max starts to withdraw into himself and comes to Jill for solace. The two find themselves falling for each other, which wouldn't be a problem if Max was available, but he isn't. His girlfiend, Becky, isn't the only problem in Jill's life, however. Her father and pregnant stepmother have problems of their own, and Jill finds herself in the middle of the mayhem.

Based on first impressions, I would describe Kissing Max Holden as something like marmite: you either love it or you hate it. Fortunately, I kind of loved it. I say "kind of" because there were a number of things I didn't like about the book, particularly the consistent "will they, won't they" scenario between Jill and Max. I became tired of reading about their indecisive nature when it came to whether or not they should be together. Personally, for me, their chemistry was purely sexual. They were once close friends who grew apart as they aged, so perhaps they thought consummating a physical relationship would somehow reignite the strong bond they once had. It wasn't so much love as it was lust, so it didn't really matter to me if they got together. There were also times where the story dragged and seemed stagnant, and for a while it couldn't break out of a loop. It was just Jill and Max repeating the same mistakes without coming to any decisions. Although Max had his girlfriend to consider, it didn't feel as though there was much at stake when it came to his relationship with Jill. Thankfully, the book didn't settle for too long in this inert state, so it didn't deter me from finishing the book.

I didn't connect with some of the characters as they were undeveloped (Becky, for one), and because of this, other characters' actions (specifically Max) seemed pointless or illogical. Honestly, I didn't care much for Becky (I wasn't given the chance to care), so when it came to Max's infidelity, I can't say it bothered me much. It would have been good if she were more three dimensional, so I could feel some empathy for me, or at least be able to decide whether or not I wished to empathise with her.

There's a lot of deceit and hurt to contend with. I can imagine a lot of people not being happy about the infidelity that occurs in this story, but the way I see it, these are depictions of situations that happen in real life. You can't have the good without the bad. I may not like the topic, but I'm more concerned with whether or not the author's portrayal of her characters in these situations were believable, and they were.

Kissing Max was an enjoyable read. The problems I found with the story didn't weigh too heavy on me, so I was able to feel different emotions throughout - quite like how Jill felt about her relationship with Max actually. Due to the story's content (the issue of infidelity), I can see some readers having a problem with this one, but I think Jill and Max will win the majority.

I read it almost as soon as I was approved for the title but sat on reviewing it to give myself more time to mull my feelings. I mostly felt frustrated. There is SO MUCH potential but it needs more editing. Yes, the story is good as it is. Yes, many people will still love it. But I could see beyond what was published to what it could have been and that is the story I actually wanted to read. This is my trouble with Swoon Reads. These are some pretty great stories and I'm glad that they have this avenue to publication but none of them seem quite polished enough.

The best love that develops in this story, oddly enough is not the Max Holden from the title, but rather the one that develops between Jilly and her stepmom. Family love, which Jilly struggles with as the story develops is key to much of the drama, but the back and forth with Max is under-developed...(From the very beginning I couldn't tell you why she likes him. Still can't) Still, likely to be popular with teens.

The title itself drew me to this novel. Where there is romance, I’m in. Kissing Max Holden has a great opening scene. It introduces the main characters and creates tension, which is key in a young adult novel. The writing itself was good. There were a good deal of metaphors which I felt connected as a reader and was brought into the story. I’m partial to drama so Max and Jill had that going.

The drawback for me was Jill’s inconsistency with what she wanted. There was so much back and forth with regards to Max. It was repetitious. What I really liked; Jill’s relationship with her step mother. How it slowly progressing even though I felt angered in regards to her situation.

Overall Katy Upperman created an entertaining read.

This one disappointed me. I wanted to love this...I was really hoping to love this but there wasn't really a story. The entire book was just going a bunch of nowhere. I liked Max and Jill but I feel like this book didn't do their story justice.

BE STILL MY HEART!

This book grabbed me from page 1. There’s so much I love about this story. On the surface it’s a friends to lovers romance, but it’s deeper than that.

First of all, there may be some spoilers here. I’m trying to keep them VERY mild so they won’t spoil your enjoyment of the story.

The characters in this book are amazing.

Jillian is the good girl. She’s an only child, a straight A student, and an excellent baker with dreams of going to a prestigious cooking school in New York City.

Max is the bad boy. He was Jillian’s best friend growing up, but after his father had a stroke, he took it really hard. He started acting out, getting drunk, and partying.

But these characters are so much more than that. When Jillian’s family life gets rocky, we see her struggle to cope. Meanwhile, we see that Max is more than a party boy. He’s really broken up, wracked with guilt over his father’s stroke, convinced it’s his fault. He’s in a rocky relationship with his sisters best friend, and though she treats him like garbage, he knows that part of that is because of how he’s treating her. But being a teenager under so much stress, he doesn’t have the maturity to handle things properly.

When Jill and Max fall into a physical (kissing/making out) relationship this sparks new feelings and emotions in both. They both know it’s wrong, because Max has a girlfriend, but they both want it.

If you hate cheating under any condition, this might not be the book for you. I personally feel it was handled well. There are actually multiple cheating storylines going on here, and I felt like the author tackled them nicely. Because here’s the thing. We’re all human. People make mistakes. Is cheating right? No. It’s selfish and disrespectful. But what makes this story so beautiful is how the characters deal with their actions. The consequences they suffer. I really don’t want to say too much because it would really spoil the book. I’ll just say this, Jillian feels 100% guilty for having ever kissed Max while he was still seeing his girlfriend, even if he instigated it. She even puts an end to things because even though she does want to be with him, she doesn’t want to be the other woman.

So should you read this? If you have zero tolerance for cheating story lines under any condition, run far away. However, if you want a steamy/funny/sweet romance with a good message – despite the cheating – dive into this one.

4.5./5 stars

Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman is a young adult contemporary romance that put a huge smile on my face. I really, really loved this book. It was cute, it was swoony and it was a whole lot of fun. Just what I love in my summer beach/pool reads. Max Holden is total book boyfriend material. I did have a few minor issues with the story, which I will discuss below, but overall I really enjoyed Kissing Max Holden.

Kissing Max Holden is told from Jillian’s point of view. She grew up next door to Max Holden and they used to be very close, but because of personal issues in Max’s family, he has withdrawn a lot and because distant with Jillian. It is interesting because Jillian and Max still ran in similar friend groups at school so they are circling around in each other’s lives. I love a friends to more story, so I really liked the various facets to Jillian and Max’s relationship. It is clear that they still know each other very well. I also kind of liked that they kissed right at the start of the story and then danced around each other afterwards. Sure, there was fall out on both of their ends because of the kiss and there were some things in the story that bothered me, but it was hard to care too much about either of the things I am going to mention because Max and Jillian were just so darn cute.

So, what were my issues with Kissing Max Holden? Well, I didn’t love the idea that Max had a girlfriend, particularly because his girlfriend is so witchy. I also really, really didn’t like what Jillian’s dad did. View Spoiler » But, as I mentioned earlier, even these minor annoyances couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I really, really enjoyed this book. It is a light read that is perfect for an afternoon by the pool or at the beach.

Rating: 3.5 stars

This was not a light and fluffy contemporary. Nope. This was filled with drama and angst and everyone making mistakes, not just the teenagers.

Cheating was a big part of this book, which ordinarily would have been a big no for me. I don't know what exactly it was that convinced me to read this, but it wasn't easy at all. In fact, given just how much cheating played a part, I'm surprised I made it through at all. However, the book portrayed it as a definitely not okay thing to do, and that helped me to appreciate it for what it was, which was an honest portrayal of how rubbish real life can be, and how you have to deal with the consequences of your actions.

Honestly, Jill's home life sucked. Her stepmom was consumed with having a baby, and she and Jill's dad had no real appreciation for how much they dumped on Jill. AND THE MONEY. UGH. Oh, and let's not forget that both of Jill's parents have set her up with a lifetime of issues. Girl's gonna need some therapy one day, and I would know.

The baking side of things kept the story just about kept me floating above the "this book is depressing the hell out of me" level. Not just because Jill was always baking, but because she also described people and things in terms of tastes and scents. Everything connected to food in her world. I'm actually a little disappointed she wasn't described as curvier.

Overall, a tough read, but if you like your YA contemporaries on the more real, dark, angsty side, then give this one a go.

Max and Jillian's friendship drew me in right from the start, the storyline moved quickly and in no time at all I felt like I had known them both for years. Jillian was a likeable character who was torn between doing what was right and doing what her desires were encouraging her to do. Max was one of those confident, enticing bad boys who always make me smile with their cheekiness. The chemistry between the two of them was sizzling!

Both Jillian and Max had family issues at home that were affecting their lives and bringing them closer together. I flew through the pages as I followed them on their roller coaster of a journey - life certainly seemed to be throwing a lot their way. I loved the way the authors writing made me feel like I was part of the storyline.

Young, fresh and feisty, Kissing Max Holden was everything I hoped it would be and more!

Let me cut to the chase and say right up front: Kissing Max Holden is an amazing debut novel that checks all the boxes for what I want when it comes to contemporary YA. Realistic characters, dialogue that rings true, complex family relationships... and plenty of swoony moments with cute boys. Kissing Max Holden delivers all that and more.

Jill was a character I liked from the start. Things at home are tense, her father's and step-mother's arguments are escalating, going to New York for culinary school is suddenly in jeopardy, and when the boy next door climbed in her window it ends in an unexpected (but thrilling) make out session. With all this going on, Jill didn't collapse into dramatics or wallow in angst. Nope, not this girl's style. When faced with disappointment or trouble, Jill showed real maturity for her age, picked herself up, adjusted, and got on with it. When she was dealt a pretty tough blow that nixed her plan for the future, she didn't act like a sulky, petulant child (which, let's be honest, is likely how I would have reacted at seventeen). Instead, she started working out how else to make her dream happen. I admired her strength and tenacity. And when it came to Max, she was no pushover. She knew when to draw the line and say enough.(I totally want to be Jill when I grow up!)

Confession time: I wasn't sure how to feel about Max at first. Was he a jerk that I was supposed to like? Because honestly, those first few interactions left me on the fence about the swoony boy next door (well, technically he's the boy across the street but whatever). But I quickly warmed to Max and despite his behavior, despite his bad decisions... it was obvious he wasn't a bad guy. This was not a case of the bad boy with the heart of gold. He was not that guy. Max was a good guy who was struggling with changes in his own family - and having a really hard time accepting and adjusting. Upperman struck the perfect balance with Max: a troubled boy who was acting out but never so far gone that you questioned Jill's judgment or her feelings for him. I was completely charmed by Max, especially when he showed the side of him that was sweet and flirty and genuinely caring.

I loved the evolution of Max and Jill's relationship. It wasn't easy. It was messy, filled with uncertainty and hurt feelings and missteps - and it felt completely real. Goodness knows there were obstacles: Max had a girlfriend, Jill's father ordered her to stay away from Max, Max continued to make poor choices at times. The push and pull of their relationship felt so genuine and I was completely invested as they sorted through it all and made their way to one another. And through the good times and the bad I loved every glimpse of Max's innate sweetness: the way he called Jill Jilly, the times he bought her giant-sized Cokes because he knew she loved fountain drinks best, the way he interacted with his nephew. I mean, come on, what girl wouldn't want to be Kissing Max Holden?

The family relationships and situations were another aspect that was done so well. Upperman's exploration of Jill's relationship with her father and her step-mother was thoughtful and emotional and always rang true. The relationships evolved, sometimes in surprising ways, over the course of the story What I appreciated most? That not every problem and every issue was tied up with a neat little bow at the end. It lent even more authenticity.

Upperman's writing pulled me in from the start and there were so many times that I had to stop and read a particular line or passage several times, and just smile at its simplicity and perfection ("Things were easy back then; we goofed around to a soundtrack of endless laughter.") The dialogue was spot on, the humor so effortless and the culinary turns of phrase as a nod to Jill's love of baking all worked seamlessly together to create a delectable concoction. All I can say is, I can't wait to see what Katy Upperman serves up next!

I am sad. I really want to love this book but unfortunately I don't .

Kissing Max Holden is one of my anticipated read in 2017. I’ve been eyeing Kissing Max Holden since 16th August 2016 when Swoonreads doing cover voting. But unfortunately my fav cover did not win.

Despite my fav cover did not win, I still curious and want to read Kissing Max Holden so I really excited when I got an email from Netgalley that Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group accept my request
It is not the book is bad. I really like Katy Upperman’s writing. Her writing is a page turner, made me easy to dive in. Her setting descriptions are also great. I feel I could see and feel what characters see and feel.

The problems are the characters really annoy me. Masalahnya adalah karakter yang benar-benar membuat saya sebal.

I don’t mind annoying characters if they learn their mistake and change. But I don’t see it in this book. Both Jill and Max feel they are victims of bad things that happened to them. I stay because I hope they changed at the end of books but I did not see any improvement toward the end.

I feel mixed feeling toward Jill. Sometimes I understand and feel relates to her, especially part figuring out your emotions and adapt to step family. But I don’t like her slut shaming behavior and justified Max’s bad behavior. He run aways from his problems to alcohol and distance himself from his family. I don’t see the appeal of Max as romantic interest simply because I am not a fan of bad guy characters.

I also feel like Jill and Max are living waaaay in the past since they could communicate via phone/text/social media to minimize their misunderstanding and some problems between them but somehow they let day passes and then they talked when they bumped into each other.

Overall, I am sad since I end up did not like this book like I hope for.

Thank you Macmillan and Netgalley for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.