I liked this opposites-attract love story. Despite their different economic backgrounds, bad boy townie Cooper and good rich girl Mac find they have a lot in common. Mac and Cooper both have entrepreneurial dreams for the future. She founded two successful websites and isn't done yet. #girlboss He has plans of owning a furniture business. They encourage each other to achieve their dreams.

In addition to Cooper and Mac's banter, their friends provide all kinds of comedy and mischief! The friends are interesting enough that you'll want to learn more about them in the future, especially Cooper's twin and Mac's roommate.

A couple of things detracted from my enjoyment of the story, namely the cheating and lying that occurred. Nevertheless, I liked it.

Fans of slow-burn and college/new adult romance will enjoy Good Girl Complex.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Mackenzie is a people pleaser. She follows all the rules set by her parents, her friends, and even her long term boyfriend, but when she moves to a beachside town to attend a college to make them all happy Mac starts to question what will really make her happy. Cue bad boy Cooper Hartley a local bad boy that will makes Mac want to loose all control.

I read this one so quick! I loved the relationship between not only Mac and Cooper but also the friendships that build with Cooper’s twin and friends. It really makes me hopeful for some spin-off books for these characters.

I felt like the development of the relationship between Mac and Cooper was really natural and so much chemistry!

Definitely would recommend if you are looking for a quick, fun, opposites attract romance.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in return for my honest review.

"Fuck love, build the empire." AH Good Girl Complex is SO GOOD ! The romance between Cooper & Mackenzie is impeccably written. Their relationship is cute and hopelessly romantic without being stale, and their banter makes the novel such a fun read. Elle Kennedy hits a wide variety of emotions and internal struggles among the characters, and I think it's very well done, especially within a light-hearted contemporary romance. I have absolutely no regrets choosing this book and would highly recommend!

Many thanks to Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Elle has done it again l! I love the contrast between two characters who have no reason to be together but against all odd are the perfect match. Cooper and Macs love story was a rough path but i loved every second of it. Im so glad Mac made Coop grovel to get her back after everything that happened between them. The ending was so well done with the rocking chairs. Elle’s writing just has a way of making me smile the entire time I’m reading.

Overall this one was good! A bit controversial at times. I definitely don’t agree with how they were planning on using a girl to get back at her boyfriend. Nor do I like that all his friends were lying to her. I’m not sure it really sets the right example for readers, although it did blow up in his face in the end. I liked the story and it was well written but I’m just not sure I can get behind the message.

3.5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I have mixed feelings about this book. I will start by saying I did enjoy it. I really liked reading about Mac (Mackenzie) and her realization about becoming her own person and living her own life. She is learning she can be the perfect person that her parents and boyfriends expect her to be and just follow the path they've already set for her. Now for the parts that irritated me. A lot of it was really about finding and standing up for yourself. I wasn't the biggest fan of this revenge plot. It really is just super petty to play with people's feelings like and including the fact that their entire relationship was really build on a lie wasn't great either. That all being said I still had a really great time reading this book, I read it in one setting and it kept me engaged. I would for sure recommend giving this a read!

I don’t read a lot of new adult books but I was excited to read Good Girl Complex, the first book in Elle Kennedy’s Avalon Bay series. The first thing I did before reading this book was remind myself that this was new adult and to reset my brain that these were young people still learning about life and love and I had to manage my expectations of how they should act and react. I say this because I’ve learned when I do decide to read a new adult book that these are not fully formed adults with years of experience navigating the world. I felt like this book did a good job of showing the differences between people born in wealth and those that were not, but I also felt like at times the characters were written a bit too stereotypically. The two main characters were developed well, but I wasn’t thrilled that cheating both physical and emotional were a part of this book, I didn’t care for the reason the two main characters got together, but I appreciated that so much that went on is pretty typical of how messy relationships and life can be at the age of these characters. I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it either and despite my feelings on how this story played out, it was well written.

Townie bad boy Cooper and MacKenzie (Mac) meet at a local bar one night but it isn’t by accident. Cooper and his friends hatched a plan to get back at Mac’s boyfriend and she was to be collateral damage, but instead Cooper found that he liked Mac. She challenged him; she argued with him, she made him feel alive. And Cooper, well he made Mac realize just how stifling her life was by following her parent’s expectations as well as those of her boyfriend. I found Mac to be extremely naïve especially given that she owned her own business at 20, haven taken a gap year and just starting her freshman year and a small, exclusive (expensive) college in this coastal town. Cooper had to grow up at a very young age and he and his twin were hell raisers from early on, but it’s evident that Cooper plans to make something of himself and he’s working toward achieving that goal. Both had less than stellar role models in their parents and are honestly just trying to figure their place in the world.

I found Cooper’s friends to almost have a mob mentality when it came to Mac even after they got to know her they still seemed to want her cast aside and hurt for the sake of some misguided bootleg justice because of that I didn’t find any of them very likeable. Considering Mac went out of her way to help them when she could they still didn’t seem to give a f*ck about her which IMHO is just plain sad and mean.

Both characters grew throughout this story, navigating life, a new relationship, parental issues for both, and dealing with the differences in their bank accounts. I felt they did a pretty good job of communicating, until they didn’t which led to the inevitable breakup.

While not my favorite in Elle Kennedy’s body of work, I’m not sorry I read Good Girl Complex. The book actually had good bones, but for me there were too many red flags to completely enjoy it.

The Good Girl Complex is great for fans of the opposites attract trope.

Mac comes from a wealthy family with checked out parents who expect her to always do what they deem is acceptable. She’s always done what they asked but as she starts her first year of college and reconnects with her boyfriend after years of long-distance dating, Mac is feeling more constrained than ever.

Cooper is Mac’s opposite in many ways. He’s lived in the college town where he’s tired of being looked down on by the wealthy students who judge him based on his bank account and bad boy looks. When he meets Mac he thinks she’ll be just like all the other college students he’s met but both their worlds are turned upside down as they learn they may have more in common than they could have imagined.

I loved the connection between these two characters and how they pushed each other to be their best selves. They both had a relatability and this was a fun story to read. I also loved getting to know Cooper’s brother, Evan, along with his close group of friends. I’m really hoping that we’ll get a chance to read Evan’s story next. I did wish that Mac had stood up for herself a bit sooner and I was sad that she seemed to let her friendship with her roommate go until she needed help. I liked Brinna’s quirky personality and would have loved more of her throughout the story.

I love Elle Kennedy and her stories, yet this one felt a bit redundant from other storylines I have read before so it missed a bit the mark for me. I love the trope but it just didn't feel like it had more to offer. MacKenzie and Cooper are a couple that well they are opposites attract couple theme, we have a bet and the bad boy - rich girl story which is a great trope if you have something unique and refreshing to offer, yet this one miss it for me. Looking forward to the next project as I do love Elle Kennedy and will continue reading her stories.

Outer Banks but age appropriate and with a believable romance. I love how clear Elle Kennedy’s writing style is yet the tones of her books never feel like repeats. The characters are great, very well fleshed out and believable. The basic premise of the plot was a little predictable, however there were some plot twists that I did not see coming. Overall a very enjoyable book, especially if you’re a fan of Outer Banks and the After series vibes.

I loved that their relationship was given time to develop and it wasn’t rushed like romance plots are a lot of the time. Like I said, the plot is quite similar to the after series (and many more before it), however I think this one is way better in a literary sense. Good girl complex it’s a book I think would have been good to read as an older teenager. The female main character is quite self possessed and driven, while still making mistakes that a young adult would make.
Actual rating: 4.25/5

This is a fun divergence from the usual Elle Kennedy novel. I always devour Kenndey's writing, and this was no exception. I loved the new beach setting and the new cast of characters that was created in this world. I am excited for her to explore this world more! I thought Cooper and Mac, while their relationship was very cliche good girl/bad boy, had good chemistry and I enjoyed reading about them.

Good Girl Complex, as the tag line suggests, is Elle Kennedy at her best. I enjoyed Elle Kennedy's Off Campus and Briar U series so much and this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Good Girl Complex follows Mackenzie "Mac" and Cooper and their shenanigans (for lack of better words) in Avalon Bay. It feels like a good girl meets bad boy love story (as the "good girl" in the title suggests) and it was overall a very fun and quick read. Mackenzie and Cooper were okay main characters. They were enjoyable but not necessarily memorable. If you like the world that Elle Kennedy created in her Off Campus and Briar U series, you're likely to like this quaint place of Avalon Bay. Overall, it felt like reading a Gossip Girl set in the Hamptons type story. I personally don't think it was as enjoyable as Elle Kennedy's other works but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The cover is one of my favorite cartoonish ones and I felt as though it encapsulated the vibes of the book itself. I had a good time reading it and it was definitely a feel-good novel!

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy is the first book in the Avalon Bay Series.

In My Own Words:

Cooper Hartley’s life hasn’t been easy, to say the least. He’s had to work hard to keep a roof over his head and food on the table, and even harder the moment his mom and dad exited his life’s picture. Now, it’s just him and his identical twin brother Evan. Life is what you make it, and he’s content with his close circle of friends, his brother, and his hobbies. That’s all he needs to be happy… Until a night at a bar involving a rich asshole ‘Preston’ getting handsy with one of his best friends ends up with Cooper losing his bartending gig… Now, the stakes are high, and revenge on the *clone* is a fingertips reach away. He only has to seduce Preston’s long time girlfriend into dumping him under her own pretense. How hard can that be…. Right?! Cooper’s about to realize the stakes are about to get even higher, when his heart gets involved.

Mackenzie Cabot is feeling like something is missing in her life. She’s lived her days with a script and a moral compass on what her parents deem is worthy mannerism. She’s to go to college, and then marry her long time boyfriend Preston. Her life is all mapped out, and Mac is finally coming to terms, this may not be the life for her. When she unexpectedly meets bad boy Cooper Hartley at a bar, that fire she smothered deep inside starts to grow out of control… She’s about to come to the realization, things aren’t always as clear as they seem.

My Thoughts:

Elle Kennedy has a way with words, and I’ve recently found myself becoming obsessed with her writing style and the passion she brings to her characters. So, I can’t say I was surprised to see I loved Cooper and Mackenzie’s story as much as I did. Let’s be honest here, I was expecting this outcome. I was expecting to fall in love with these characters, because it’s a normal thing for me when I read a novel from this author. I loved everything from the small town/locals feel to the opposites attract vibes. It definitely was a book I found myself not being able to put down for very long.

This novel screams Romeo and Juliet vibes!! AHH! I loved the opposites attract vibe but then realizing these two people from different sides of the wealth spectrum aren’t at all different than what we originally thought. They share so many similarities, it’s hard not to fall head over boots for them! I also loved the *townies* and *clones* approach. If you’re curious, a townie is a local and a clone is usually a wealthy person vacationing or going to the college in town. Townies and Clones don’t mix… or at least they didn’t mix well until now. I’m, usually, not a huge fan of the Romeo and Juliet type tropes. But it definitely worked for Cooper and Mac!!

Mackenzie and Cooper’s story was something I didn’t know I needed in my reading until I finished the novel. This was a book my heart was searching for. I’m not even kidding when I say, this may just be my favorite Elle Kennedy book….. And given the fact that I’m still fairly new to her work, I’m excited for future books from her! Mackenzie (Mac) Cabot is a force to be reckoned with! Throughout this novel, I loved watching her grow into the woman she wants to be and leave the woman she was forced to be behind in a cloud of dust. This woman has dreams and goals that don’t revolve around her parent’s own greedy and selfish achievements. She has a fire burning bright inside of her, and to see that fire finally burn out of control was the best moment I’ve witnessed in a long time.

Now let’s talk about Mr. Cooper Hartley. This man is rough, sexy, cool on the outside but beneath the surface this man has his own insecurities forcing his way through. I loved the fact that he vowed to never get involved with a *townie* and then Miss. Mackenzie Cabot walks in on the scene. This man never stood a chance! And I loved every single moment they unknowingly chipped away at each other’s walls built up around their hearts.

I loved how each was exactly what the other needed in their life. Mac seemed to keep Cooper grounded while Cooper kept Mac humble. I always say, Fate is a fickle b*tch, and this novel proves that point.

Now onto the reasoning behind why I dropped a full star rating. I felt Cooper and Mac’s story was a tad bit rushed towards the end. I wasn’t ready to see this novel end, and I wanted a little bit more from them and their happily ever after. I get this is a series and we’ll most definitely get glimpses of them in the future novels, but I wanted more with this novel! I feel a little bit selfish with this couple. I also wanted that moment of clarity when it came to her parents realizing how wrong they were treating their daughter. I wanted a moment between the parents meeting Cooper and vice versa… I now understand why that didn’t happen, because let’s face it, in the real world I can assume posh parents wouldn’t put up with their daughter dating a man like Cooper….. UGH… Why am I so mad at her parents…. This novel is fictional!! But there you have it.

I’m going to end this rambling review with this recommendation. If you love New Adult Contemporary romances with a small town feel and an opposites attract vibe, I can safely say you’ll love this one!

~Alecia @ The Staircase Reader

Elle Kennedy does it again. Good Girl Complex is a well-balanced romance that has heart and humor. The pacing is well done and there are actual moments of the heroine and hero being an actual couple before the climax of the story, which has been so rare to find these days. I can't wait for future books in this series.

Sassy and fun with all the steamy feel good vibes! This is the perfect beach read for romance fans! I felt the characters were realistic and flawed which is something I have enjoyed about Elle Kennedy's other books. Overall I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a quick romance read!

The boy from the wrong side of the tracks meets the stuck up, rich girl, a “clone.” But Mac isn’t your normal clone, she’s independent, strong-willed, and fiery . What starts out as a plan for revenge (not my favorite trope), turns out to be a passionate love story between Mac and Cooper.

What I Liked:
The found family aspect: I love how Cooper and Evan have grown up making their own family around them, with their uncle and friend group. I’m glad Mac found her home with this group too.
The setting: I’m a sucker for anything set on the Carolina coastline
Character development: I respect how much Cooper and Mac grew and learned from each other. They learn that there’s more to each other than what they first expected. There’s more to Cooper than his tattoos, and more to Mac than her sundresses.
The narration: three cheers to dual POV stories that use dual narration. Both narrators were fabulous!

What Didn’t Work for me:
The cheating: I didn’t like the circumstances that finally pushed Mac & Cooper together.
The revenge dating trope: I can see how it’s part of the overall storyline, but it’s just not my personal preference

CW: parental abandonment; infidelity

Thanks to NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for my review copy. Good Girl Complex is out now!

Elle Kennedy does romance right and this story is no exception. Her hallmark of creating characters that feel like old friends by the last page shines here. Mackenzie is complex. Part little rich girl struggling for independence and part fearlessness and determination. Cooper is so much more than he appears at first. Watching these two fumble towards their happy ending made time fly and before I knew it I was up way past my bedtime. But with a big smile on my face. This one has a lot to offer. It's sweet and sexy, full of humor, has just the right dose of angst. And pages full of heart.

I'm such a fan of this author. I love her work, writing style and is a great story teller. Good Girl Complex is another hit from Ms. Kennedy. It's one of my favorite troupes - good girl falls for bad boys and they way this author tells their story from dual points of view, really made me love the characters and to get to know them. A fabulous weekend read!

DNF @ 12%. While this novel was still very readable and I genuinely think I could have finished it pretty quickly, I just got the sense that I wasn’t vibing with this book. I didn’t feel strongly about either POV character, and I found quite a few moments and statements in just these first few chapters to be not to my taste.

I have really enjoyed Kennedy’s romances before but this one didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the revenge/deception feels even though it eventually works out. I think the bouts of miscommunication really create division in ways I don’t like and I just had trouble connecting to the characters.