Great storyline and easy characters to connect with made this book one of my favorites so far this year.

Mackenzie Cabot seems to have it all. She's wealthy, comes from a good family, has a handsome boyfriend and is starting college. But looks can be deceiving. Meanwhile, Cooper Hartley busts his tail for everything in his life. With a father who died in a drunk driving accident years ago, a mother who is always MIA and a job he recently lost because of a rich jerk, Cooper has an ax to grind and is hungry for revenge.

When Mackenzie and Cooper meet, the chemistry is undeniable. Of course, she's a good girl with a boyfriend. So, how can this attraction play out? With a very clever plot...that's how.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Whoa! How I missed Elle Kennedy’s writing. The good girl complex is funny, steamy, and enjoyable read. The heroine Mac came from a privilege family with prep school friends, rich boyfriend, and parents with high expectations. She attends Garnet College for the wealthy folks but her dream is to be successful at her internet business. Cooper is a local bad boy - broody, hot tempered and rough around the edges. He has seen it all and is not impressed with the trust-fund babies that come and go from his home town. There is something about Mac though that caught his attention – maybe she is not the same like the rest after all, and Cooper soon fell hard for her. Mac is sweet, people pleaser at the same time stubborn and fierce  What happens when Mac found out a secret Cooper has been keeping from her? The life that Mac has mapped out did not turn out the way she thought. Cooper brought out the different side of Mac that she did not expect. Mac is willing to take risks, pursue her dreams, and live her life the way that make her happy. I like that this trope is a bit good girl / bad boy, different social status, opposites attract vibes. Cooper and Mac relationship went through a rocky path and many obstacles given Cooper’s really bad intention behind their relationship. This part I did not like so much about Cooper but thankfully he redeemed himself. There is plenty of chemistry, steam, sassy banters, and some funny moments. The ending wrapped up pretty quick though and I wish there was an epilogue. Overall, easy and entertaining read.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for a free arc copy in exchange for an honest review!

~3.5~

If you are a fan of the tv show Outer Banks and the After (which I have not read) series, this book is for you. Set in a small town right next to a rich kid college, townie Cooper and entrepreneur and daughter of a US Senator Mackenzie, or Mac, start a friendship that leads to so much change in both their lives.
Never reading any of Elle Kennedy's other work, I thought this book was pretty good. I LOVED the dual point of views, those are literally some of my favorite books, especially in romance books. If you don't like reading about how obsessed the man is compared to the woman in the relationship, why? I will say, I was very sad with the first chapter because it slightly crushed my spirit about wanting to be a bar tender, but will I still try, yeah. It was a cute, quick read and it gave me some much needed serotonin for the week!

"F*ck love. Build the empire."

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were fun and interesting to learn about. The story moved along at a good pace. There were parts that were a little slow and then I thought the ending was rushed. But overall it was a really good story!

Can I wholeheartedly say I enjoyed this book? Yes, I started it on my bus to school this morning and finished by end of day.
It was entertaining and overall a good romance book. Did I find it too be a bit to focused on physical hotness? Like other Elle Kennedy books. Yes.

The characters in this novel are flawed, I barely liked any of Coppers friends and Mackenzie (love the name ;) was so sweet. I wish they addressed how vindictive they were in the beginning.

This book tho…. Even with those things had spice, banter and drama….. after reading only fiction recently it’s exactly what I needed.

Also overall vibe of the story/ the bay. Was so cute and WARM ( love reading summer books In winter lol)

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I've only read one other book by Elle Kennedy and it wasn't for me. Unfortunately, my second attempt with this author didn't go much better.

Good Girl Complex isn't a unique concept. It's She's All That. It's Cruel Intentions. It's 10 Things I Hate About You. All with a splash of Outer Banks/The Outsiders.

Cooper is a local with a chip on his shoulder about "clones." Clones are the rich, trust fund kids who pass through the town seasonally, generally treating the residents poorly. When Cooper has a bad exchange with Preston, a living embodiment of all the things Cooper hates about clones, he loses his job and ultimately decides he wants revenge. Seducing Preston's girlfriend becomes Cooper's main objective. However, once he actually gets to know her, it becomes less about the challenge/revenge and more about having an actual relationship.

Like I said, this isn't covering any sort of new ground. That's not always a deal-breaker for me though. If the author can put some sort of fresh spin on it and keep me interested, I'm okay with them relying on tried-and-true tropes. But I took issue with several things.

1) The book alternates viewpoints between Cooper and Mackenzie, which would normally be a good thing. However, neither character developed any sort of distinguishable narrative voice for me. Everything felt very surface-level (even though attempts were made to dig deeper).

2) The pacing of this was all over the place. This is how I felt about my previous read from Kennedy (The Deal). Perhaps I should steer clear of New Adult titles, since that might be something that works within the genre/for particular demographics.

3) I felt... bored during a lot of it. I wasn't invested. I didn't care about these characters.

I'm sure this might be enjoyable to some, but it really didn't offer me anything. Not something I'd recommend.

I always DEVOUR Elle Kennedy’s books and this one was no different. She always has great banter, delicious spice, and heart wrenching confrontations. Let’s be honest, the good girl/ bad boy pairing gets me every time, which made this a breeze to get absorbed in. But as much as I love a messy “bet/ you can’t get the girl but I dare you” plot, I was apprehensive about the plot to seduce Mackenzie away from her partner. Yes, the chemistry was great and her boyfriend was trash, but infidelity doesn’t sit great.

While I liked the characters, I needed a bit more back story and motivation for Mackenzie. We know she has a “wild” streak, but we never had any anecdotal evidence. And I found her parents a bit over the top – it verged into caricature because they were SO FAR REMOVED from being real people. I think a bit of humanity in them would have made Mackenzie’s choices more complex, which would have amped up her inner conflicts. Aside from that though, I really liked Cooper’s story line. He had great grounding and I do quite enjoy a good chip on the shoulder.

My biggest issue: it wrapped up so quickly! We got resolution, but I would have loved an epilogue to get Mackenzie’s point of view on grand gesture!

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Elle Kennedy writes young adult characters like no other. Her books take me back to when I was young and made bad decisions.

I was on pins and needles waiting for Mac to realize what a tool her boyfriend was. While Cooper’s plan was over the top immature and nasty he did abort it early on. I do wonder though, if he would’ve behaved the same way if he hadn’t made a connection with Mac. My only real complaint is this book deserved an epilogue. The ending was barely satisfying and I was left wanting more.

This was a perfect escape on a frigid winter day!

Elle Kennedy fans will love this book. The coastal setting was fun, and you can't help but root for Mac and Cooper. The secondary characters fell a bit flat for me, but overall this is a great new adult romance!

Good Girl Complex is the first book in a New Adult Contemporary Romance series.

This book has both the female and male POVs (1st person). The story takes place in the fictional beachside town of Avalon Bay.

The female narrator is 20 year old rich girl/good girl/college student Mackenzie/Mac.

The male narrator is local bad boy Cooper. He has a sexy twin brother!

Part of the story takes place at Garnet College. The locals (all of Cooper's friends) hate the rich college students. This made for a very interesting dynamic.

I enjoyed all of the friendships in this book. I did like Mac and Cooper as a couple. Overall this book was a super sexy fun read.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book to review!

This book opens by introducing us to the coastal town of Avalon Bay and its resident bad boy Cooper Hartley, and I was hooked from the first chapter. As someone from the Carolinas, I loved the town of Avalon Bay. It has all the charm of the best small Southern coastal towns. Elle Kennedy has also proved that once again she can write convincing college students, as Garnet's campus and students were very believable. However, I like that this book didn't focus on the traditional college experience.

This is partly because neither of our main characters' ambitions includes a college degree. Instead, they are ambitious in a different way, both with their own entrepreneurial goals. As individuals, I liked both of our main characters, Cooper and Mac. However, I struggled to believe their relationship. They had great chemistry and banter. However, much of their bonding was based on similar family trauma, which I disliked and didn't find super believable. I would've preferred if there was more focus on how their ambitions bonded them.

I also didn't care for how their relationship started. I get that was the point, but it made it hard for me to root for Cooper. Beyond using a girl for revenge, Cooper also made several comments comparing Mac to other women, which I didn't find romantic at all, just annoying. I hate the "not like other girls" trope in romance, and at times, this book utilizes that trope. Still, there were lots of other aspects of Cooper's character that I liked, and I enjoyed reading about his relationship with Mac.

Overall, this was a solid romance book for me. If you want an atmospheric romance set in a small town, this book is perfect. If you're a sucker for a bad boy romance, you should also read this book. It's another great contemporary romance from Elle Kennedy.

Read this if…you like spicy enemies to lovers or forbidden romances.

Mackenzie and Cooper are from opposite worlds. Mackenzie is a “clone,” meaning she comes from a wealthy family and has money at her disposal. Cooper is a twin who was abandoned by both parents and is forced to work for every penny he earns. When Mackenzie’s jerk of a boyfriend gets Cooper fired, Cooper makes a bet with his friends that he can get Mackenzie to date him instead. The plot is pretty predictable from this point on.

I wasn’t in love with this book. The writing is solid, but the story was pretty cookie-cutter as far as the plot goes. I was only mildly entertained enough to finish it. The drama between the haves and have-nots was a little too unrealistic. I couldn’t make myself care about either of the characters or their relationship. I thought Mackenzie lacked depth and Cooper was a controlling man baby. The level of spice was perfect though-not too much, but not too little. Overall, this could be a good read for you if you don’t go into it expecting too much.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars
An altercation between an entitled rich boy and the tattooed bartender who gets fired after he tries to protect a friend quickly turns into a payback that involves the rich guy's unsuspecting girlfriend. Between the moments of sexy flirting and genuine interest I had some trouble wrapping my head around their "friendship" but really it was her lack of a fulfilling life and just going along with everyone else's plans for her future while completely settling. I don't need every female character to have it all figured out but at least the possibility of a backbone definitely helps. I did have a soft spot for Cooper, though misguided by his friends seems to be one of the only genuine people in this story.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy is a story about the good girl with bad boy romance. Mac is sweet and likable and tends to do what is expected from her. She comes from what you would say is the right side of the tracks. Cooper is the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. They become fast friends, but can’t be more, right? When he loses his job, he knows what he is going to do. But at what cost? When secrets come out, can it destroy everything? Mack and Cooper’s story is a slow burn romance that was steamy and fun to read.

Happy reading!

Good Girl Complex, by Elle Kennedy, is the story of people pleaser Mackenzie Cabot as she begins her freshman year at Garnet College after spending a gap year in which she began a million dollar social media company. Mac has spent her life being a good girl, trying to please her society parents, her prep school friends, and her long time high climbing boyfriend. And Mac is tired!

When out with her new roommate, Bonnie, they meet Avalon Bay local twins Cooper and Evan Hartley. While Bonnie is up to her own devices with Evan, Mac and Cooper sit and talk for hours. While there is a connection, Mac is a good girl with a boyfriend, until she isn’t!

This is a very well plotted story with serious overtones as to the harm neglect can cause. As Mac and Cooper navigate unchartered waters, steering around many pitfalls, it’s difficult to predict whether they will weather the storms or smash upon the rocks.

I very much enjoyed this interesting stand alone book by busy author Allie Boniface.

I'm super sad to say that although I thought the Good Girl Complex was well written, I just couldn't connect with the characters and found their antics to be childish and petty.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just adored this one. Mackenzie and Cooper are proof that not only do opposites attract, but when combined, sometimes there are fireworks. Good Girl Complex is funny, swoony, streamy and even tugs on the heart strings.

Rating: 3.5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book so much. But as I was reading it I felt like it wasn’t anything new. It reads like After, by Anna Todd. There are so many parallels that I was comparing the two the whole time I read it.

I enjoyed the characters and I liked Cooper and Mac’s relationship but again, it was nothing new.

One thing I did enjoy is Mac’s ambition to run her social media business. She has determination that her parents not her perfect boyfriend agree with which makes me love what she does more. Preston was annoying and pretentious. And her parents aggravated me to no end. But Mac follows her heart and determination and ends up right where she wants to be.

Overall this book was okay. Not great but not horrible. I’d still recommend to someone who hasn’t read After, so there isn’t a constant comparison while reading.

Struggling business owner Cooper initially pursues a romantic relationship with college student Mackenzie as part of a revenge plot. But it's not long before he becomes interested in her in earnest. She's not the spoiled rich girl he imagined. Already a successful entrepreneur at the age of twenty, she's stifled by how her emotionally distant parents try to shape her into their ideal vision of a Congressman's daughter. The boy from the wrong side of the tracks is the only one who encourages and understands her. But will Cooper's secret destroy her trust?

Elle Kennedy is a phenomenal storyteller. This book has all the heart, longing, and romantic tension I expect from an author of her caliber. The illustrated cover disguises how gritty this book is—I wasn't expecting Cooper to be this much of a bad boy. This is not a fun, beachy read. It's intense, a little dark, and ultimately an uplifting tale of two people growing into their best selves.

The audiobook has dual narrators, both of whom produced quality performances. The emotion tone was appropriate, and I never lost track of which character was speaking.

Thanks, NetGalley. for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Cooper can't stand the rich kid "clones" and one night has an unfortunate incident with Preston that ends up with him getting fired from his bartending job. He and his friends come up with a plan of revenge, and Preston's girlfriend Mackenzie Cabot is the perfect target.

Mac has just transferred to Preston's college to please her parents by getting a degree. Not that she needs it - she has a successful internet business and is doing well for herself financially. When she meets Cooper by chance at a bar he turns on his charm but she's quick to say no. After all, she has a boyfriend. But as they bump into each other and get to know each other on a strictly platonic level, Mac sees that Cooper may be rough around the edges but he's the real deal. And Cooper realizes that Mac isn't the typical rich snob he's used to seeing around his town. As they begin to fall deeper for each other, Mac finds out the awful truth of Cooper's plan for revenge. Will Cooper be able to show Mac how true his feeling are?

I thought this was a good read. I love all of Elle's books and enjoyed this one. Cooper's friends were rough and not easy to like. Mac holds her own to get Cooper's friends to like her, which shows how much Cooper really meant to her. I hope we will get more stories about Cooper's friends and Evan.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read this book.