Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman - ADVISABLE

Upperman, Katy.  Kissing Max Holden.  294 pages.  Swoon Reads (Feiwel and Friends), 2017.  $17.99.  Violence: G.  Sexual Content: PG (kissing and touching). Language: R (13 Fs, 176 swears). 

Jillian knows she shouldn’t be kissing Max Holden.  He’s still dealing with his dad’s stroke.  He’s drunk.  And he already has a girlfriend named Becky.  But when he shows up in her room one night and kisses her, she kisses him back.  Her dad walks in and catches every dirty detail.  He wants her to stay away from Max, but that’s hard when he lives across the street.  When he gives her rides to school.  And when he comes to their Christmas party and she still wants to kiss him.  Meanwhile, her dad and pregnant stepmother are fighting all of the time and Jillian learns that her dad used her culinary college money for fertility treatments for her stepmother.  Jillian sees her father with another woman at a restaurant and realizes exactly why she shouldn’t be kissing Max Holden.

Jillian’s romance with Max patterns her parent’s relationship as she creates her own moral and ethical compass.  Jillian’s character development rings with authenticity as she copes with changes in her family life, lost dreams, and romantic entanglements.  The supporting characters shine in the story from her best friend Kyle to her surprisingly supportive stepmother Meredith.  The pacing of the story is steady with one shocking plot twist that the reader won’t see coming.  Recommend to romance readers looking for a cozy romance with surprising depth.   

HS-OPTIONAL.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.