Kissing Max Holden
Katy Upperman
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 1st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Kissing Max Holden was a terrible idea…
After his father has a life-altering stroke, Max Holden isn’t himself. As his long-time friend, Jillian Eldridge only wants to help him, but she doesn’t know how. When Max climbs through her window one night, Jill knows that she shouldn’t let him kiss her. But she can’t resist, and when they’re caught in the act by her dad, Jill swears it’ll never happen again. Because kissing Max Holden is a terrible idea.
With a new baby sibling on the way, her parents fighting all the time, and her dream of culinary school up in the air, Jill starts spending more and more time with Max. And even though her father disapproves and Max still has a girlfriend, not kissing Max is easier said than done. Will Jill follow her heart and allow their friendship to blossom into something more, or will she listen to her head and stop kissing Max Holden once and for all?
Excerpt
Max gives Meredith a dubious look, then shovels an entire brownie into his mouth. He chews discerningly, then asks me, “Did you make these?” “Obviously.” As if my stepmother is capable of such delicacies. “Kyle helped.” “They’re incredible.” He grabs another before she pulls the plate out from under him. I roll my eyes at her back. “The secret is to add a little coffee to the batter,” I tell him. “And for the chocolate chunks, I buy the best bars I can find. Belgian, usually. And cocoa powder—the darker the better. It makes the brownies much richer.” I’m rambling, I realize, about baked goods. I snap my mouth shut. Max licks a bit of chocolate from his finger. Drunk Jillian has the almost overwhelming urge to point out that if he’s trying to be provocative, he’s succeeding. “Oh, go on,” he teases. “I could listen to you talk desserts all night.” Meredith glances at us, amused, and says, “Basement cleanup is going to take awhile. I’d better go supervise.” She totters down the stairs and starts giving instructions to Dad, Marcy, and Ivy, who was surely coerced into helping by her mother. Max looks my way. “Well?” We can’t hang out in the open. I wouldn’t mind disappearing behind the closed door of my bedroom, but Dad’s voice echoes in my head: I don’t want him in your room—not tonight, not ever. While I don’t care much about pleasing my father tonight, I don’t want him to slaughter Max. An idea strikes, and I smile at my brilliance. “Come on.” In an attempt to lead him down the hall, I stagger and shoulder the wall. He catches my hand and pulls me to a stop. Laughing, he says, “Who put that there?” “Right? Stupid wall.” He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “You really committed to getting crazy.” “Thanks mostly to your mixology.” “Yeah, well, it was cool having you as my partner in crime.” He glances at the ceiling and his face changes. He takes a slight step to the right, eyes alight. He gives a nod, indicating I should shift too. I do, confused but intrigued. He looks up again, meaningfully. I follow his gaze. A sprig of green with waxy white berries, attached to the archway with a festive red bow. “You know what this means?” Max asks slyly. I give a laugh that comes out sounding more like a bark. “Mistletoe is a parasitic shrub,” I say, because that’s a fact he needs to know right now. “It’s also poisonous—eating it can make you really sick.” “I’m not offering you a taste, Jillian.” And then, incredibly, “You don’t want to kiss me?"
Author Bio:
Katy Upperman is a graduate of Washington State University, a former elementary school teacher, and an insatiable reader. When not writing for young adults, Katy can be found whipping up batches of chocolate chip cookies, or exploring the country with her husband and daughter. Kissing Max Holden is her debut novel.
