First off, I loved the premise of this book. I love MAAN and was thrilled to see it was a focal part of the plot.

My main hang up with this story is Aurora. She's so dramatic and so nosy and I think a bit too focused on finding "a Prince" at 16. I mean, her entire existence revolves around not being kissed until she's meets a guy who lives up to a list of qualities. Sure, a girl doesn't have to go kissing everyone and anyone, but it sounded more like she was looking for a husband.

I liked Hayden and some of her friends were okay, but they were all just as obsessed with this Prince business as Aurora was. No one did anything outside of play rehearsals and spying and plotting.

I did love the grand gesture, but sadly, by the time we got to that, I was just looking forward to it being over. I'm sure a lot of people will love it {and by the reviews already posted, they do}, ultimately it wasn't for me.

Unfortunately this book has gone in my DNF pile. It just wasn't engaging me like it would have years ago when I first requested it. My reading tastes have changed a lot over the years as I've gotten older and unfortunately some of the books requested years ago have been affected by my reading tastes and the fact that a lot of books for younger audiences haven't been grasping my attention as of late. I thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Fun and cute book. I guessed the ending, but I'm pretty sure everyone will be able to figure it out. I really enjoyed most of the characters and liked how Much Ado About Nothing was weaved into the story. Loved the boy next door and unrequited love undertones. Definitely recommend this book for a fun, light read

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

This book was cute, and so fun to read. Aurora has never been kissed, but with her busy life - her family being strange and difficult, and her matchmaking for her best friends - she's never really been bothered. She just has too much to go on, especially once she she is cast as the lead in the school production of Much Ado About Nothing. To make her life even more complicated, her leading man, the Benedick to her Beatrice, just happens to be next door neighbour, Hayden, who has been a thorn in her side for years. He's witty and smart, and has seen her at her worst, which is not what Aurora wants. She's also got a secret admirer coming out of the woodwork too, and it's all getting a bit too much.

While I liked Aurora, she did annoy me at times, which kept this book at a 4 star level. She was obsessive about things, and a busybody into other people's lives, when it could've been better for her just to leave things alone. She had a hatred for Hayden that was a bit too dramatic, and her blindness to how he felt about her, a self confessed cupid, was slightly unrealistic. Hayden was a good character, who did compliment Aurora, and their scenes together were cute and, at times, swoony. The book was predictable in it's plot, but I didn't go into the book expecting something brand new, so it didn't bother me. I know there's a sequel (or companion book), and I'll probably read that too.

The book sounded better than it was. When I read the blurb, it made me excited to read. But as soon as I actually started reading the book, I quickly found out it wasn’t very good.

in one word: adorable
I enjoyed this so much I basically read it in one sitting.
its a great cute & fluffy summer read.
Well written, great humour and a good dash of swoony.

Definitely one of those cute fluff books that I always tend to love. They don’t usually have a lot of depth and are usually pretty predictable but they’re always incredibly fun to read and this one was no exception. And it’s funny because even though I know what’s going to happen and everything is so damn predictable, Hayden and Aurora’s relationship still tugs at my heartstrings especially with Hayden and his not-so-subtle messages.

So the one thing I can say that still confounds me is the fact that no one, no one, was able to point out that hey, maybe Hayden likes you! I mean, okay granted Aurora probably can’t tell since she’s the recipient of said affection; however, how did none of her friends notice anything? Especially since he was always teasing her and whatnot and everyone knows that guys are kids until they’re like 25 (still debatable!) and before then, the only way they know how to show affection is to tease you. So for me, it was a pretty obvious duh. I guess that wasn’t the case for Aurora and company. Regardless, I found the dynamic between the two to be sweet.

Aurora’s friends were also a riot. At first, I thought they would be just normal best friends but that was in the first chapter or two with Cassie but then Jelena and the other two girls got involved and I realized they were more of a group and apparently they were the most popular girls (at least that was the impression I got after reading a few chapters and from the way people acted around them). That was certainly not the impression I got since your usual group of popular girls were typically bitchy and shallow but that wasn’t the case with them (except for Jelena who was definitely your typical class-A bitch until she redeemed herself at the end). They actually cared, were nice to others and actually put your friends first rather than boys (again, except for Jelena!). So even though they were popular, they certainly didn’t act like they were and went about like normal teenage girls and I actually liked them. Which is a rarity for me.

The plot was cute – Aurora was way too obsessed with the whole Prince Charming thing but at the same time, I have to give her kudos for actually sticking with it and waiting it out for her “Prince Charming” for that first kiss. It actually made things a little more romantic, in my opinion. And for those on Goodreads that say that her and her friends were way too obsessed with boys and fashion – hello! They’re teenagers. Of course that’s what they’re into it. What did you expect? It’s actually more realistic in the regular world than those books where the protagonist is like 16 and out saving the world.

Overall, it’s a cute book. If you have time to spare and enjoy these fluff novels then definitely check it out. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Hayden and Aurora – they really do sound like an old married couple in some ways.

How to Keep a Boy From Kissing You is a rerelease of a book that was initially published in 2013 in Australia, so it had quite a few positive reviews by the time I requested it for reviews. I think that this book was such a cute and fun read that it deserves the positive reviews, but it wasn't so amazing and covered new ground that I could call it fantastic.

Aurora was a cute character to a degree, but I would be lying if I didn't say that she got on my nerves at some point. She was a meddler, akin to Cher in Clueless and very over-reactive, which made the book feel overdramatic. In fact, all of the characters are quite like this, except Hayden.

The chemistry between Hayden and Aurora is there, and I feel like this part of the book were done well, even though the characters individually didn't blow me away the romance was so cute.

Overall, How to Keep a Boy From Kissing You was a fun and cute read, but the overdramatic characters made it a little hard to bear at times. if you want a shallow but cute read, kind of like Clueless, you may want to check this book out.

Overall Rating: C+

Thus far, June has been a pretty rough reading month. Not a lot of good ships, and not a lot of good in general. How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You is one of the high points of the month, a delightful dose of shippy fluff as an antidote to the doldrums in which I’ve been drifting.

Obviously, a hate to love between former childhood besties playing the roles of Benedick and Beatrice is exactly my shippy crack. Hayden and Aurora have a really great dynamic, and the high point is any time they are interacting. Hayden’s fabulous and by far my favorite part of the book. The “secret admirer” gag gets really obvious later on and Aurora’s ridiculously unaware.

Aurora’s narration alternates between genuinely funny and a bit grating. Her character gets a bit squidgy around the edges. The drama with her bestie over the other new boy was completely unnecessary imo. The plot also veers a bit too heavily into slapstick for my personal tastes, since the book mostly isn’t that kind of comedy.

I’m on the fence about reading the follow up, because I do really ship it and book two might ruin things.

A light-hearted contemporary romantic YA novel. It was an incredibly easy read (which can be a good thing, sometimes you just need a book that doesn't make you think too much!) I have to admit though, it had me guessing right the way through as to who she would end up with. Character wise, I was pleasantly surprised, I hate cliche... and this managed to create characters that weren't, and were actually identifiable. I liked the old-fashioned nature of this book in the sense she was saving her first kiss for someone special - this is something that youths shouldn't be afraid of doing!

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Sweet sixteen and never been kissed—and that’s the way Aurora Skye wants it to be. She’s too busy finding guys for her two best friends, counseling her sensitive New Age dad (the NAD), and dealing with the unexpected return of her long-absent mom.
But always in the background there’s Hayden Paris, the boy next door, the bane of Aurora’s existence. Smart, funny, and always around to see her at her worst, he ‘gets’ her like no-one else... and that’s what makes him so infuriating.
When Aurora and Hayden are coerced into the lead roles in the school production of Much Ado About Nothing, things can only get worse. How is Aurora going to save her first kiss for the secret admirer who wooed her with poetry and a spectacular bunch of flowers on Valentine’s Day if she doesn’t know who he is and she’s obligated to lock lips with Hayden in the play’s final dramatic clinch?

*2.5 stars*

There are a number of words that can be used to describe this story: cute, charming, fun. And they would all be true - up to a point. There were elements of this story that could have been described in those ways - a modern version of Much Ado About Nothing, it ticked a few boxes. The theatre scenes (backstage and rehearsals) were fun. Quite possibly the best part of this novel...

Sadly, though, a few other words can be used as well: irritating, frustrating, predictable. Aurora was annoying in that teenage "me, me, me" kind of way. Whining and been blatantly ignorant seemed to be her greatest attributes. She couldn't see what was right in front of her face - shame it went on for pretty much the whole book! Too much dialogue about finding a "Prince"...looking for a soul mate or marriage partner at 16 was just silly and unnecessary. Even the arrival of Aurora's mum didn't change a thing. Surely that would have prompted one or two conversations with her friends? Finally, the stereotypes dragged out in this book were cringe-worthy, TBH. Boys who only think about food and girls...and the girls who only think about boys. Sigh. Just a little dull, really.

I think this could have been a much better book with some more thought in the characters, instead of them being cardboard cut-outs of every stereotype known to man. That was the real let down for me.


Paul
ARH

This book was absolutely adorable from start to finish! All the characters were so fun, and I really enjoyed the over-the-top quality of the story. Aurora was a riot, and I loved rooting for her and Hayden to get together. Overall, definitely a super cute read!

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before it was archived

Okay, this read is waaaaaay overdue. I have been distancing myself from YA for a couple of years now; I'm sadly one of those unfortunate people who outgrows YA as they grow older because I just cannot relate to teenage angst anymore.

But god this book is just too cute! I'm glad I read it in a good mood because I'd have DNF-ed in one of my bad days because the MCs are all sixteen years old so there are some cringey oh honey, no moments, but since they're, well, sixteen, I didn't let the moments bother me much. I just love the girls' friendship; I love that they're all supportive of each other. I love that they're all flawed and realistic characters.

Hayden and Aurora's relationship is too cute; it's obvious from the get-go that Hayden's had feelings but Aurora is just painfully dense it's so entertaining to see her being all "Hayden is out to get me, obviously!" every time Hayden does something.

Basically, this book reminds me of my teenage years (which were considerably less dramatic, but *still*) and how fun it is to have silly crushes on boys, because now I'm old and jaded, men are disappointing, and I miss that feeling, yknow? LOL.

A fun, quick read. Aurora was a bit annoying with her decision to hate Hayden at all costs. Even when he was being so sweet to her. The author definitely took a light approach to framing this story like the Shakespeare comedy. Other than Hayden and Aurora's relationship, not much else was similar. I could've allowed this to bother me but I resisted and instead chose to focus on the sweetness that was Hayden's love for Aurora.

I wanted to like this book. It has an awesome premise and huge potential. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story, and the execution didn't live up the possibilities of its classic contemporary concept.

This was very fun and cute. It did feel a bit too childish/teen drama at a few points but was overall good!

Sixteen year old Aurora has never been kissed and she intends for it to stay that way until she finds The One who is worthy of her first kiss — which means dodging kiss attempts on dates and focusing on the love lives of her friends. Until she gets the lead role in a play that requires her to kiss the male lead who happens to be her neighbor who she can’t stand….and she won’t let that happen so the urgency to find The One is on!

I read this is in the throes of morning sickness and I died from adorableness. Like cotton candy fluff. Not normally the type of romance I would be drawn to normally, if I’m being honest, but it was exactly what the doctor (should have) ordered. It was very predictable (but sometimes there is comfort in that when it comes to rom-coms and why I gravitate towards them at times) and it was one of those books where YOUUUU know who the guy is and have to wait for the MC to figure it out but it was not in the infuriating way but more in the way where you just want to smoosh their heads together to kiss like you did with your Barbie dolls back in the day. JUST KISS ALREADY. Super sweet and fun! I loved Aurora, loved the romance, loved her friends. Just pure rom-com goodness!

HOW TO KEEP A BOY FROM KISSING YOU by Tara Eglington is a cute, quick, and funny read. I’m a total sucker for a girl falls in love with the boy next door story…

Aurora is keeping a secret: she’s actually never been kissed in spite of the fact that she has half the boys in her school chasing after her. She’s saving that first kiss for someone special. But things become a bit complicated when she accidentally ends up cast as the romantic lead in her high school production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING opposite none other than her next door neighbor, Hayden, who is pretty much the bane of her existence. Naturally she freaks out when she realizes she may have to experience her first kiss on stage! A comedy of errors ensues…

In case you aren’t familiar with this piece of Shakespeare’s work, Benedict and Beatrice are constantly bickering (you’d think they hate each other), but true to comedic form these two are actually in love with each other. An appropriate parallel, don’t you think?

This book is pretty much exactly what you expect it to be. There’s nothing particularly surprising and it’s quite predictable. However that doesn’t make it any less charming or entertaining. I gobbled this book up in one sitting.

Eglington’s writing is nicely paced, and the characters are relatable. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for a feel-good, easy read.

This was super adorable.

I wasn't too sure what I was getting into, and went in cautiously. I am so glad I requested this book because it was cute, fluffy, and such a treat to read. I loved the relationship between the girls because even though they were obviously side characters, they were still treated well and respectfully. Sticking with your girlfriends was a definite theme (underneath all the lovey dovey stuff).

I like how the romance was handled because even though there was teasing going on, it was light hearted and explained well. The main dude isn't an asshole, just a smartass which honestly, is a huge difference. Different types of guys were also shown which I feel is important-- people don't always fall for the same type of person. Also, many of the 'requirements' for a prince are AWESOME and I hope more people take them to heart.

The only problem I have with this book is that many things were unbelievable. Jeffery's character is not one I've ever seen in real life. Also, an anti-bullying campaign?? that works instead of backfiring????, as well as a New Age teacher teaching dance??? Yeah these things pulled me out of the book at first, BUT then when I realized how light it made the book-- how FUN it made the book, I gave in and accepted it.

I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel-- I like the ending as is. I would totally recommend this book to people though! If you like sweet first love stories with lots of humor, this is a book you've got to pick up!