Member Reviews

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Renee Blossom, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

GOODBYE, GOOD GIRL is a coming-of-age story about Kandace Santellan, 18. At the beginning, Kandace is cast as the adult of the family: her father is away working, her mother is a drug user, and she has two sisters who rely on her. When she decides she can no longer handle her life, she decides to leave Pennsylvania for California, where her father is said to be working. On the way there, she's abandoned by her boyfriend in St. Louis. She meets April, an exotic dancer, who offers her a job, promising her enough money to make it the rest of the way to California if she worked just one night. Kandance accepts the offer and is quickly caught up in a lifestyle of lust, drugs, and dancing.

To me, this story screamed of a coming-of-age plot. Kandace (who is sometimes called "Kandy" in the book, a name at which I cringe as it's too cliche for the plot), and the writer relies on common tropes to tell Kandace's story: drug abusing parent, absent role models, a missing father, a child forced into a parental role, first love, first lust, drug using, fantasy lives, a naive main character, etc. Kandance makes her decisions without thinking, typical of a teenager and a coming-of-age story line. I found the author's portrayal of a teenager to be quite realistic. Often, I was cringing at the dialogue or the way Kandance reacted in certain situations, but that's because I'm not a teenager. So while the adult in me cringed, the writer in me respected the author's attempt at crafting an adolescent character in a starring role. I also appreciated that the author stuck to the dark and dirty side of humanity when telling this story. So many glamorize this lifestyle, but we get to see both sides: the fantasy and the pain.

With that being said, I couldn't relate to Kandance. Too many times I cringed at the things she said and the way she acted. I'm a fan of young adult literature, but this coming-of-age story was a little too unrelatable for me. I'm one who strives for realism, even in fantasy literature. So some of the character's cringe-worthy dialogue and unrealistic responses to situations were too hard to ignore.

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Good Thursday all , hope your week is going great . Wow this is the last week of August where did the summer go . If you were like me I hope you soaked up the sun and read some really good books . Today we are going to review GOODBYE GOOD GIRL  by Renee Blossom 

                          BOOK BLURB 
    
When eighteen year old Kandace Santellan is ditched in St. Louis by her boyfriend on a cross country trip to reach her estranged father, she finds herself trapped––she can’t go home and she doesn’t have enough money to reach Los Angeles. She then meets April, an ambitious exotic dancer with attitude, who has a one thousand dollar wager––that Kandace can make the money she desperately needs dancing at the gentleman’s club The Palace in just one night. Rumored as an adult playground of fast money and faster pills, it’s a place where fantasy is king and problems are forgotten. Anything can happen.
But can Kandace strip her clothes for money, even if it is her only way to repair her broken family?
Feeling like time is running out, and out of options, she gets curious…thinking that after one wild night dancing, she would be on her way to LA. And her friends and family would never need to know. Could she make it work? Or will the club’s fantasy lifestyle take the good girl from Pittsburgh, and make her into someone she’s never met?
       
                       MY REVIEW 

     When I sat down to read this book I was at a bit of a quandary . Was this a coming of age book a mystery or and adventure read . Meet Kandace a girl who is up against it with mounting medical bills from her moms accident . Younger sisters that she has to take care of . A missing dad that hasn't been home in over two years .  When she has the opportunity to find her dad she takes it . But when she is abandoned by her so called boyfriend she is at her wits end . With a chance meeting with April , she enters a world where money is good and the lifestyle is fast . Will she get to LA will her family find out . 
      The characters in the book are well written but some of the characters came off as being one dimensional . Kandace is the lead character and sometimes you kind of want to slap her and sometimes you want to hug her and tell her that things will be ok . I felt that she was very naïve through out the book . She really didn't have doubts about her new job of dancing and stripping .  April is the friend everyone warns you about . She is there and leading you into some situations that are hysterical but also a little dangerous . She has no filter and will tell you what's what on any occasion . She is such a hoot to read  and you will giggle with some of the things that come out of her mouth . At least I did . 
    This is an intriguing book, you are taking on a journey of self discovery and coming of age . Throw in a little mystery and adventure and you have this book . I kind of felt that the beginning of the book is a bit slow and I wanted the road trip to start sooner . The conversations dragged on and on at the beginning which to me slowed down the build up . When they finally got on the road the book started to pick up steam .  Also I would of liked to see a bit more of the nagging feeling that she shouldn't be stripping instead of jumping right into it and having fun and laughing . Needed to see a bit more nervousness . 
Over all I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants a good coming of age story mixed with mystery and adventure

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This was so good, I have already recommended it to a number of people!

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This is a story of a young woman, Kandace (K) taking on household responsibilities, due to an absent father & addicted mother. She feels that she urgently needs to find her father, who may or may not be across the US. K basically begs her boyfriend to join/bring her & he does so out of guilt. He ends up leaving her stranded and broke before they get very far. So, K becomes an instant "Star" stripper to make money to fund the rest of her trip.
I had a really hard time getting into this book, & I honestly couldn't connect with the main character (Kandace/Autumn) or the story-line. In my opinion, everything about this story was unrealistic. And Kandace is very immature & selfish in her thoughts & actions.
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Thank you so much to Revolve via netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of Goodbye, good girl by Renee Blossom. Goodbye good girl will be released on October 3, 2017

Kandace is just trying to get to California to see her dad and get away from her mom, a cross country drive with her boyfriend what could go wrong. Now i dont know about you but i cant handle being trapped in a car for more then five hours without almosting killing someone so this trip was doomed from the start.

Once her boyfriend and her get into a fight and Kandace is left on the side of the road, cold and alone... but not for long.

Kandace meets a girl named April and she takes Kandace under her wing and brings her into her world of exotic dancing. Its fast money for Kandace if she wants to make it to California.

I dont know if a story about becoming a stripper was supposed to be funny but i was laughing maybe im just weird or maybe its a weird topic to read about.

The beginning was very slow, mainly dialogue back and forth which was overkill. I wanted details and descriptive writing about what was happening not lame conversations. I wanted the road trip to start and the adventure to begin. It took a while. But once it picked up it really picked up, and got really good. While working at the strip club kandace was very much fine with stripping right away, like yeah im fine with walking around naked, my boyfriend didnt just leave me whatever lets screw some guys. I didnt find how Kandace reacted to the whole situation believable.

It was interesting and i liked it but i also dont really know what to think about it, because i have never read a book like it and it was refreshing to see things in a new light!

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Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance and review it.

Kandace is an 18 year old girl living with her two sisters, Amelia and Coral, and her mother. However she feels like the only adult in her house, her dad lives in another state and sends them money, but there is not enough money for them to pay the bills and get food.

The story is about Kandace trying to find her father, along the way she meets someone who tells her a way to make money so that she can go on her journey to find her father. Goodbye, Good Girl is shows us how a teenager can be drawn into a fast lifestyle for easy money was on point.

Kandace is naïve. Even by the end of the book, her actions and assumptions don't show much evidence of a maturing young woman.

The writing style was not my cup of tea, there were a lot of things I'd change, but it's a light read, and it's and entertaining read.

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Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Goodbye, Good Girl.
The premise of this book is that a young woman finds herself in a difficult situation and as a result becomes a stripper.
I find this a bit far fetched and not really believable.
I didn't like the storyline, and didn't get into this book.
I cannot rate as I did not finish it.
Not for me.

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This was a book that tells of a young woman that finds herself in a bad situation, and in order to find her way out takes a bet and becomes a exotic dancer overnight. It was for one night but what Kandace experienced that night made her realize that she might not want to stop. She took the dare for a way home but along the way she learned the truth of who she really is, she learned that she could be herself. Learning the truth might finally set Kandace free.
Thank you NetGalley and Renee Blossom for allowing me to read and give an honest review of this book.

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Goodbye, Good Girl by Renee Blossom, wow I had good things about this book but it blew my mind. I am glad an author wrote a out this subject, how far would you go for money. How desperate could you become, A small town girl finds her self needing money and decides to dance and strip in a men's club! I won't say more for spolier affects this is a must read in the mind of a young girl and the decisions she makes and why she does! I highly recommend this book!

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This book was given to me from netgalley for an honest review and I adored it. It was a great mix of adventure, thrill, and friendship. It was a quick read for me and easy to relate and know the characters.

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I absolutely ADORED this book. It had so many unique elements: coming of age mixed with travel mixed with family drama mixed with a thriller. I LOVED Autumn/Kandace's character and identified so much with her myself. Constantly struggling to make things work and letting other people dictate her life, I loved seeing her grow and change as the story went on. I also think April was a great friend for her, who knew a chance encounter at a bus stop could lead to a friendship like that? My only complaint was the Kyle story line, it really seemed kind of pointless after the first few chapters. Overall I really really enjoyed this book and am so glad I had the chance to read it!

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