Rating: 
Summary: Kept me up at night trying to finish!!!!
Review: "Behaving...." was excellent! I truly enjoy Maxted's writing style. This book was hard to put down...i kept reading page after page to see what Holly would stumble into next. Issy and Claw...her sisters, added the extra spark to keep my attention. I hope to see another Maxted novel in the near future!
Rating: 
Summary: A Let Down
Review: After reading other books by Anna Maxted, I really did expect more, her books have been much more entertaining than this one. The characters in this book were very annoying and whined quite often. I wanted to feel empathy for Holly but I just could not identify with her at all. Maybe there was a lack of proper development before her "ordeal" but she just wasn't an identifiable heroine. And the ending was completely unbelievable. I know it is fiction but this was a prime example of taking it to the extreme. If you are looking for a paperback, cheap read, this will suffice but save your money if you are looking for a worthy hardback.
Rating: 
Summary: Chick Lit With Soul
Review: At the beginning of "Behaving Like Adults," Holly Appleton appears to have it all together. The successful owner of Girl Meets Boy, a dating service for individuals "beautiful inside and out," she takes pride in bringing people together and in her rosy view of the world. Still sharing the house with Nick, her ex-fiancé, rankles Holly, so she and her friends at Girl Meets Boy decide to speed up the process of getting him to move out. And thus begins the minor event that causes everything else to happen in the novel. After some coaxing, Holly agrees to go out with one of the new members of the dating service. Things do not go well and he does something that shakes her belief in herself and in the essential goodness of the world. Once that belief is gone, Holly has trouble in dealing with the everyday happenings in her own life, much less those of her beloved dating service. As things worsen with her, so do they worsen with Girl Meets Boy. Her sister and co-worker, Claudia, tries to get through to Holly, tries to get her to see the good in the world again. With the support of her sisters, her friends, her clients, not to mention the reappearance of Nick in Holly's life, slowly she finds the inner faith that helped the dating service become successful in the first place. Although this book could be termed "chick lit" because of its themes, Anna Maxted brings a reality to her characters that goes beyond such labels. Despite the fact that the novel is set in London, and some of the more British turns of phrase are unfamiliar, the reader is drawn into the world of Holly and her cohorts at Boy Meets World. Maxted is able to make these people seem like friends, co-workers or others you might know. She also brings a lightheartedness to the novel so that even in its darkest moments, you know things will work out. As Nick tells Holly at one point - most people want to see a happy ending.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant and amusing
Review: Behaving Like Adults focuses on the months before and after the lead character's--Holly--30th birthday. Holly owns her own business, which is a match making service, and employs a varied cast of characters, including her own sister. Early in the book, Holly loses patience with her long term boyfriend because of his constant immaturity, and breaks up with him. However, the two keep in touch and obviously still care for each other, even though they have several disagreements. Holly takes advantage of her own business, selecting a date from the "top of the stack" for herself. Their second date ends in a case of date rape, understandably sinking Holly into a depression that negatively impacts her work, her friendships, and her relationships with her family. As Holly fights to regain control of her sense of self and her life, events continue to explode around her. One of her sisters comes out about her homosexuality, the other believes her husband is having an affair, a cor-worker enjoys sudden success in his acting career, and two other friends hook up romantically. Most importantly, her ex-boyfriend discovers information about his past which changes his perspective on himself and his life. Behaving Like Adults is well written, and the development of Holly's character is empathetic. Her parents are well drawn and most readers will want them for their own. The novel is not four stars because it is too long in several places, and tends to swing unevenly between comedy and sadness.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Even though I loved both of Anna Maxted's first two novels I was extremely disappointed in her third, Behaving Like Adults. For lack of better words, this novel was annoying. I forced myself through because I kept thinking I would eventually enjoy it and I was stuck on a plane. The main character, Holly, is frustrating and there were no truly likable characters in this novel. Even though Maxted continues to deal with tough issues, her heroine acts pathetic and doppy most of the time. In her first two novels, I was able to relate and understand the characters and their motives, but in this book the characters are just caricatures and they seem silly. Save your money and wait for the paperback...I wish I did!
Rating:
Summary: Anna Maxtet delivers another winner!
Review: Getting Over It is one of my favorite chick lits of all time. Even though I was not impressed with her second novel, Running in Heels, Anna Maxtet is one of my favorite authors of the aforementioned genre. She, aside from Marian Keyes and Jillian Medoff, is the only modern romance writer who mixes dark issues with lighthearted humor. And she has outdone herself with Behaving Like Adults. In Adults, Maxtet introduces us to Holly, a twenty-nine-year-old woman whose dating agency, Girl Meets Boy, is a growing success. However, her personal life isn't as impressive as her thriving career. Nick, her fiance, refuses to grow up, and so she decides to put an end to their courtship. Little had she imagined that her professional and personal life would take rapid turns toward disaster after she embarks upon a date with someone from her agency... In typical Maxtet tradition, there are as many laugh out loud moments in this novel as there are poignant ones. Maxtet tackles some rather serious situations with a great deal of insight and wit. I also love the eccentric characters -- Claudia, Rachel and Nige are my favorite ones! And what about Maxtet's unique writing style? Hers is the sort of language that sounds conversational without really trying. I know that I'm resorting to some tiresome cliches here, but I couldn't put this book down and I hated to see it end. A definite page-turner! I so look forward to reading another novel from this talented British writer. Behaving Like Adults is a great reading investment. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Don't be so hard on her
Review: I admit that Behaving Like Adults wasn't my favorite of Anna's three novels, but it was still pretty fantastic. Being an Anna Maxed fan, maybe I'm biased. But she stays pretty true to the writting style she had in her past two novels. Again, there was a woman that had a big emotional ordeal she had to get through, and had her usual possie of crazy friends and family. Nick was a cute character. The only thing I didn't like about this story was how mad I got at Holly for her lying, her inconsistency, and her whimpy ways. I felt like Holly was a sister. Love her, but she really is irritating sometimes. Overall, I think it was a fun read.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish I had the author's email address.
Review: I am curious if Anna Maxted was ever raped, because as a rape survivor, her insensitive approach to the violence and pain associated with rape made me physically ill while reading it. When her friend Rachel suggested that women send mixed signals and that it's the woman's fault that she flirted with and kissed her attacker before hand, it was sickening. I sat on the subway with tears in my eyes. Just so you know, it is a confusing thing to happen, but the way is happened (w/her fiancee thinking it was cosentual) & her wandering around making excuses for Stuart & actually agreeing to see him again was horrid. Rape survivors are not stupid. They do not let that happen to them. And, they don't just go back to the rapist for more. If you or a loved one has actually edured the agony of having your right to say no taken away & seen them suffer as they try to live a normal life, I would tell them never to touch this book. Because it gives no warning that it's even about rape anyway. I thought it was light reading when I bought it.
Rating:
Summary: Needs a warning sticker for difficult issues
Review: I enjoyed Anna Maxted's previous novels and bought this one in hopes that it would follow in that vein. I read through the first chapter or so at the book store and thought it would be a wonderful book. However, my view abruptly changed when the main character was raped. From the perspective of a rape survivor this book was horrid. The incident came about with no warning and severely triggered me. I would have appreciated a slight warning (calling Stuart a "rapist" or a "criminal" on the book description instead of a "cad" would have sufficed), so that way I could have either prepared myself for what was coming or avoided the book altogether. I urge anyone who recommends this book to a friend to remember that what is light-hearted and strong to you, may not be considered as such to someone who has survived a rape (more likely it will be considred being forced to relive a traumatic event).
Rating:
Summary: This One Has Heart and Soul ---- Her Best Work To Date!
Review: I have a soft spot for Anna Maxted. She is published by Regan Books in NYC and I was lucky enough to be contacted by them in regard to my first review of "Behaving Like Adults" and went to NYC for an interview ---- to make a long story short, I was really impressed with them and everything Anna Maxted. So, that being said --- the minute I find out there is a new Maxted book coming out - I order the hard copy. Which is something I rarely do. I must confess - I am never disappointed. Her work is always powerful, insightful, smart, and really mature. She is not your usual "Chick Lit" novelist. She is above and beyond that criteria - she is wonderfully powerful. Her characters, storylines and subjects she covers are for true readers. "Behaving Like Adults" focuses on 29 year old Holly who is struggling with a few areas in her life. After breaking up with her unfocused boyfriend, she turns to her friends and her business (matchmaking / dating service) for a fresh start. However, this has drastic and powerful consequences and that's where the heart and soul of this book meet. It's a wonderful book to really sink your teeth into and I loved every minute of it. Her best book to date! Without a doubt.
| 
