This was a cute a story about Mac, a college girl from a well off family, and Cooper a bartender from the wrong side of the tracks. I like the two people from different worlds trope so this was a great read for me. Their were also a lot of other characters and I liked getting to know Cooper's twin brother Evan. Through a lot of the book Mac is trying to find herself and figure out if she is really on the life path she wants to be, or if she is just doing what is expected of her. The "good girl" gains the confidence to be herself and go after what she wants under the influence of the "bad boy". I enjoyed it.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’ve never read a boring Elle Kennedy book, and “Good Girl Complex” was no exception. It had good entertainment value, a cute setting, and a well-executed plot. However, it didn’t have characters you could root for. Cooper and Mac are both kinda terrible and both have some serious misogyny going on in their heads. Bonnie was the one character that deserved way better in the book. It was also pretty predictable. The trope wasn’t one I hadn’t seen or read before, and it played out exactly how I knew it would from the beginning. “Good Girl Complex” wasn’t revolutionary, but it was a solid read when you’re in a slump.

I love a good romance story, where there is depth to the characters, where their individual stories shine, just as much as their budding relationship. Cooper and Mac are very different people, from opposite sides of the track. Yet, I loved that they both shared the same dreams and aspirations to make something of themselves on their own, and together. I'm also a sucker for small town stories and one located on the beach was just an added bonus! The supporting roles of the local "townies" and privileged college students at the nearby campus fully rounded out an enjoyable story. If you are in the mood for some romance with fun loving, complex characters and one adorable puppy, you've found it.

This book was a bit of a "young" read for me, but I went for it anyway. There were a lot of good parts of the rich girl/townie boy trope. I really liked that Mac began to cone into her own because of her relationship with Cooper.

I really dislike cheating by a main character, regardless of how it is justified in the book and there was some of that cheating in this book. That really ruined it for me. I'm one of those people for whom there just is NO justification for cheating. So it's near impossible for me to like a book in which a MC cheats.

Those who aren't as sensitive to that subject and who a-

a dual POV romance is the way to my heart!
the banter between mackenzie and cooper was *chefs kiss*.
mackenzie is a good rich girl who pretty much does what her parents expect of her. cooper is a bad boy (but like secretly a sweetie pie). Cooper and mackenzie are brought together by the fact that cooper wants to get revenge on mackenzie’s (terrible) boyfriend by getting with mackenzie.

the ending did feel a little rushed to me and could have used an extra 50 or so pages but i loved it so much and can’t wait for the next one in the series.

Mac, the ideal daughter with the picture-perfect boyfriend, college experience, and bank account, meets Cooper, the antithesis of all she and her background seem to represent. As Mac finds herself during her first year of college, she realizes that her true self couldn't be farther from the facade she's been projecting. She starts to fall for Cooper, not knowing that the secret he's harboring on the true nature of how they met could break her heart and more.

A fun read! Didn't resonate with me as much and the spicy scenes were a bit too much for me, especially with the youthfulness of the characters, but a fun and lighthearted read!!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Elle Kennedy, and NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved the first half of the book! I was entertained and felt that I had a good connection with the characters. However, when I continued reading, I felt that the book was being strung along. I might feel that way because the characters connected and go together so quickly. It seemed that this book could have been shorter, or maybe just not as many storylines as it had. I loved the content that was there but I'm not sure what threw me off. I think this book could benefit from an expansion of the beginning or to shorten the ending of the book.

This is a dual POV that follows bad boy Cooper, “from the wrong side of the tracks” and rich, good girl, “princess”, Makenzie. I am an absolute sucker for witty banter and the smug bad boy and this delivers! The chemistry between the MCs is undeniable and I want a Cooper… or a Makenzie. I love the dialogue, I love the build up, the conflict, the spice, ALL OF IT! I’m not required to rave about the book but I can’t help it! Cooper is our favorite “touch her and I’ll break your face” with a soft spot for his people, who has been dealt a rough hand. Mackenzie has a dollhouse life that she is bursting to get out of. She is strong and determined and I love her for it! Also I want more Evan!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've read Kennedy's Off Campus and other college books so I was thrilled to get an early start on a promising new series.

MacKenzie Cabot is from a wealthy family and after taking a gap year to grow her successful website, is to start college at Garnet College, a fictional liberal arts university somewhere on the South Carolina coast. Her boyfriend Preston Kincaid is a real D bag and womanizer.

Cooper Hartley is a hard working "townie" who gets into a scuffle while tending bar at one of his gigs with Preston, who sexually harassed one of the waitresses, Cooper's friend Steph. Once Preston lays unwelcome hands on her, Cooper punches him. His boss has no choice but to fire him because Preston's daddy owns half of Avalon Bay property, which tracks as Preston treats women like property.

Cooper and his twin Evan, and their friends decide to get revenge when they see a picture of Preston with his unsuspecting girlfriend MacKenzie. Cooper decides to get Mac to sleep with him and shove that in Preston's face. Cooper later withdraws from her revenge plot when he gets to know Mac and that's she isn't like the other "clones", a derogatory nickname for the rich students and families who summer in Avalon Bay.

This book got more enjoyable as I got through the first half, but as readers we know the truth always comes out and when it does, it is a doozy. It would have been better to tell Mac what her cheating ex did rather than for it to be a big secret that explodes. Her parents are real pieces of work too, and while Cooper and Mac bonded over shitty parents, the author also focused on Mac's interest in being an entrepreneur and not a typical princess who is spoiled and obnoxious. Especially as the friend group unfairly misjudged her and keep things from her when she was getting to know Cooper, before she dumped the dude. It was only when Preston started attempting to make decisions for her and her parents being fine with that control, that she decided she was done.

I'm interested in future book featuring the twin brother Evan, there's real potential for additional books. Will definitely recommend this book to fans of New adult romance.
4/5☆
TW for sexual harassment, unwanted groping and alcohol abuse.

I don’t typically read new adult romances a lot because college kids are…still very kid like in their logic.

But Elle Kennedy does new adult well, balancing the optimism and sometimes myopia so prevalent in younger adults with the burgeoning senses of responsibility, loyalty, and honor that develop in maturing early twenty-something’s.

Mackenzie and Cooper are very much still growing as individuals, breaking free from the expectations of their families and communities. And while they are brought together by a clash in values and an ill-considered vengeance plot, their relationship develops such that they transcend who they thought they were to themselves and to each other.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I look forward to more Avalon Bay stories!

I really enjoyed both off-campus & the briar u series so when I saw Kennedy was releasing a new book I was excited and had high hopes! But unfortunately this one just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The whole plot just didn’t really vibe with me. There’s cheating and childish revenge plots that I wasn’t really on board with. I found myself not really liking any of the characters, they both kind of annoyed me. I also felt the relationship felt very rushed in a 0-100 way. And then there’s a part when she buys that random property it just felt chaotic? Like I didn’t feel like any of the characters or their reasonings were fleshed out at all. Overall, I didn’t think it was necessarily a bad book, but definitely not one of my favorites.

*thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for providing me with a ARC in exchange for an honest review*

4.5

Cooper and Mac’s story had be hooked from the start! Omg I couldn’t get enough of these two and I loved how well we got to know them!

Kennedy really spent her time building up our characters and their foundation! I loved how open and care free Mac turned out to be! She is her own woman and though at first she was timid and I wasn’t sure about her as the story went on and she grew I really loved who she became!

Cooper also showed a lot of growth and not just him but those around him! They really had a lot to learn and seeing all of them overcome in this book just inspired me and had me loving not just the two main characters but all of them (except Preston he can eat a bag of rocks)!

I wasn’t expecting a bunch of heat in the book but WOW was I surprised in the most amazing way! The hotness level is a definite 5!!

I really enjoyed The Good Girl Complec for a multitude of reasons. I enjoyed the message about college and finding success through other avenues beyond education, as well as the theme of shared experiences with family. Even though our two main characters shared almost nothing in common about their day to day life and childhoods, it was their emotional experiences with their parents that ended up shaping them the most, and what they shared so much in common over. I appreciated the growth over the course of the book for both of our main characters, and I'm excited to read more from this author!

I really enjoyed this story. The budding chemistry between the two main characters was awesome, and seeing Cooper slowly fall for someone that represents all the things he despises was sooo great. Cooper's twin, Evan, was also super interesting, and I wish we got to learn more about him since he was an awesome side character.

I also think there should've been a bigger showdown between Cooper and Kincaid. Mackenzie's ex was a really abusive guy towards staff and other women, and I wished we got to see him get what he deserved.

Overall, a great and fun read!

While I was hoping for a sexy romance, I felt bad for Mackenzie. It was like everyone around her was using her or only friends because of her money. Cooper was ok, but he was not the hero I am used to. Not a romance but more of a college story, and I couldn't finish it.

This book was great! It was a quick read that kept me engaged and not wanting to put the book down!! Mac and Cooper had me smiling, laughing and on the verge of tears at times. I loved their story and cannot wait to hear more stories from Avalon Bay!!

Poor little rich girl falls for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks...

A predictable college-age rom-com from Elle Kennedy. Set in a small seaside town that caters to tourists and rich entitled college students, Kennedy builds a revenge-based class difference romance between a jaded townie and a wealthy young woman. Unlike her previous books, this couple seems more than average superficial. There was nothing that set them apart and made them unique or even interesting. The storyline was trite and bordered at times on ridiculousness while the supporting cast but anything but supporting.

Not the quality I'm used to from this author. If this is what we have to expect from here on out, I'll pass.

this is after the remix. I was conned into reading a shortened version of that series. this wasn’t really for me.

Good Girl Complex has all the feels with MacKenzie, a rich chick off to college with her chauffeur and hot but douche bag boyfriend Preston until Mac’s fun-loving roomie talks her into a night of ladies bar hopping where they meet the notorious Hartley twins. When they meet, sparks fly like the Fourth of July. 🎆 Cooper Hartley has it all, the hots for Mackenzie, hot bod, hot tattoos, and smoking hot looks. He’s also fulfilling a friendly bet to win Mac over and into his bed as payback against entitled Preston. It’s the townie (poor boy) vs. rich girl trope set out on a college campus, and it’s yummy. Soon, Mac is hooked on Cooper, Preston gets kicked to the curb, and all is well with Cooper, who is genuinely falling for Mac until the “bet” is uncovered. Good subplots, lots of heat, and cute characters in a witty storyline. This book will be released in early 2022. #romance #richgirl #poorboy #struggles #hotasheck #cheatingExDrools #ellekennedy #goodgirlcomplex
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Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin’s, for the opportunity to read this delightful book.

#reading #books #bookstagram #book #booksofinstagram #JustBooksBookstagram #bookish #lindaleereads2021 #mmdbookclub #idratherbereading #readinglife #fallreading #modernmrsdarcy #november 🦃

This was a very fun read! I loved how "real" the characters are. Great character development, great storyline.

Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author fir the chance to read this ARC.