This is my first non-hockey book I've read by Elle Kennedy (and we all know how utterly obsessed with those books I am). And this book was amazing!!!

This book has Elle Kennedy's signature sarcastic, smartass banter that I absolutely adore and am obsessed with! It's so strange to not be in the Off-Campus/Briar-U world since I've read and reread those books more times than I can keep track of. But this setting was incredible! I loved this small beach town setting. It was cute, quaint, cozy, and had the perfect setup and vibes for this romance! And these characters are new, fresh, and got me completely invested!

We have Mac and Cooper here with the intense chemistry and the tension was absolutely spectacular! I loved their banter and they way they fought both with and for each other. Not only the amount of passion they had for each other, but the love they had and showed each other was amazing! I loved seeing the character development between Cooper and Mac. Yes, they obviously grew together, but witnessing their individual growth from the very beginning just had me sitting on the sidelines yelling and cheering them on and feeling so proud of them and the way they carried themselves, viewed themselves, and treated themselves in the way they deserved.

The concept of found family in this book was awesome to read about too. The beauty, that even though you may not have a great biological family, you can choose the people who can become your new, chosen family. You can choose who to love and fight for to keep in your life. Blood doesn't always matter. It matters who you feel safe with and can love and be loved by.

Overall, this book was incredible and I had the best time reading it and reuniting with Kennedy's incredible writing. I can't wait for everyone to read this and fall in love with this new set of characters like I did! This book also sort of hints at the potential for a series with other characters having their own books and I would never say no to that...

*A huge thank you to Elle Kennedy and Netgalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

I was so feeling this book! It was adorable!! I found myself giggling and blushing but also ready to throw hands. It wasn’t as spicy as The Deal, but I liked this one more!! Still 18+, not very many spicy scenes but the spice that is here is good. A spicy rom com I am so here for.

Honestly… I didn’t really like this. I liked the style of writing and even the premise. But their relationship.. it was volatile and unhealthy. Borderline abusive. And I just couldn’t get on board with it. I wish she had ended up being a boss babe by herself.

Sweet, lighthearted read! Author Elle Kennedy strikes again with this contemporary NA read with main characters Mackenzie "Mac" who is sweet and affluent, and Cooper, the rough "bad boy" from the other side of the tracks. The two together explode in chemistry, sexual tension, and witty banter all throughout the book!

This book is like Gilmore Girls meets Outerbanks, so no wonder I loved it! Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me access to this ARC for an honest review.

This was the perfect book to read after my previous flop, because it just NAILS an honest portrayal of infidelity. Mackenzie and Cooper are constantly thrust together and have instant chemistry. While they come from different worlds, they relate so well and you can't help but root for then. Toss in a devilish bet, a stuck-up boyfriend, and the cutest puppy ever and you have a recipe for success. This book makes me want to sit in a rocking chair and sip sweet tea, just soaking it all up.

*Thank you to St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

*This book was given to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review*

This contemporary romance was a fun, easy read for me. Cooper's family issues were fleshed out and enriched him as a character. I think I might have enjoyed the side characters even more than Cooper and Mac, which makes me hopeful Kennedy is planning to follow them in future books.

Mackenzie Cabot, daughter of a politician, has followed her parent's rules for the past 2o years. While her life is all about plans and privilege, she was able to work out a deal with her parents - she'll delay the start of college at the university of their choice if they allow her a year to build her business. But as she makes good on her promise, Mac starts to see her life isn't what she thought, especially her relationship with Preston, her parent-approved boyfriend from high school. But waiting in the wings is Cooper, the local bad boy who has it in for elitist Preston. But when Mac and Coop meet, their preconceived notions of the other challenge everything they *think* they know about the class differences that make them total opposites.

Now, take everything I just wrote, but make it fun. Make it flirty. Make it so you really want more, and you hope, hope, hope Elle Kennedy has another book planned with these characters. Because Evan, Cooper's twin, NEEDS to take his turn as the leading man. Take me back to Avalon Bay, baby!

What a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed this bad boy / good girl romance. It hooked me right from the beginning and really delivered on heart and humor. Mac and Cooper had great chemistry and were truly just fun to read about. Their characters were well-developed and layered. I liked the different family sub-storylines and all of the friend side characters,

I do wish there had been an epilogue, but I'm hoping for more stories from this world where we'll get peeks at Mac and Cooper!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review,

This reads like a stereotype romance and I didn't feel the need to continue reading it stopped reading after 21% If you enjoy predicable romance this is for you. DNF

*********************************I received an ARC for my honest review.************************************

I think this book was great!! The characters seemed super developed and the town that was created really brought you in. It was great that we had characters that we truly wanted to root for!

This book was so fun! I loved the story, characters and the message.

Characters:
Mackenzie was a very strong and confident character. She took charge and didn’t let other people stand in her way and I loved that about her. She was born into a wealthy family but never understood why money was so important to them.

Cooper was your typical bad boy. He’s rough, raw and says what’s on his mind, oh and he’d never be caught with a rich kid.

I love the message this book was conveying; not to judge someone based on what you see. Cooper judged Mackenzie and said he’d never fall for her because of her money but then learned that she’s so much more than her family’s worth.
This was a definite 5 stars! Don’t miss on February 1st !!

I loved this book! I thought it was fun, fresh, and I loved the characters. The setting was vivid; I could see it in my minds eye the entire time, from the college to the town by the bay. Cooper Hartley is definitely a new "book boyfriend," and the relationship between him and Mac is a roller coaster that I honestly loved every minute of. Elle Kennedy's writing is smooth and easy to read, and she keeps me engaged every time. Excellent!

Loved this love story. It's been a while that is read a rich girl/bad boy romance. I enjoyed Mac's entrepreneurial vibe and her need to be free and independent. I was afraid she would be a pushover because she's supposed to be a people pleaser. And she is to a point. She stands up for herself and when she's finally putting herself first she's stuck to it.

Cooper is hot with the tattoos and bad boy attitude. I enjoyed him

These two fight like crazy and makeup just as intensely. Great story, great characters and great sex scenes.
However, an epilogue is needed for this story to put a nice tidy bow on the story for me

If you liked watching Outerbanks on Netflix and want a similar vibe without all the murder, Good Girl Complex is for you. This book is angsty, perfect NA.

I love Elle Kennedy but I may have aged out of this one.

While this was quick and generally enjoyable, the story itself felt stale, as if I’d read it many times over. I know romances often repeat the same tropes (in this case good girl falls for bad boy), but this felt overdone. I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads in the beginning, but once they got together it felt overdone, like we were just waiting for her to find out about the ruse. Would’ve enjoyed seeing more of the hotel renovation.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St Martins Press for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was my first Elle Kennedy novel and I am HOOKED! I really felt the chemistry between Mac and Cooper and Elle Kennedy brought the steam! This is a definitely a binge worthy read and if you haven't read her Off Campus series, I highly suggest you pick that up too!

My one gripe with this book is the cover ... that is not where his tattoo goes. Very curious why marketing made the decision to do it like this.

Mackenzie grew up in a world where she was expected to play the role of perfect people pleasing daughter. She had the seemingly perfect boyfriend that everyone expected her to marry. She had her whole future planned out for her. So when Cooper forces his way into her life, Mac starts to see that maybe her life wasn’t perfect after all. Cooper and Mac start a friendship that blooms into something more, but Cooper is harboring a big secret he kept from Mac.

I received this as an ARC, but I was really excited to read my first Elle Kennedy book. Cooper is a classic bad boy serial dater. Mac is fiery and stubborn. I really loved their dynamic and chemistry. This vibes like After, except Cooper doesn’t continuously mess up and hurt his lady. I enjoyed Kennedy’s writing style, I definitely want to check out more of her work. It was a really quick bad boy romance read, but I couldn’t put it down. 4/5 recommend!

what a cute romance book with a townie and rich girl . I loved the friends. I can't wait to read their stories. I loved the friends and how they came together. I loved her friends. Overall I loved this book. I loved that she wanted to build a hotel. I loved that they came from revenge from him.

What a breath of fresh air! Elle Kennedy is a masterful storyteller and character builder. Bar none, she creates some of the best side-characters and does so with such urgency that the story doesn't feel distracted by them, but enhanced. Arguably the most important device in a story which makes or breaks a book are the character's motivations--and yes, including the side-characters and Kennedy not only meets this criteria, but excels.

I love that the characters were so flawed and will almost certainly rub a few people the wrong way, but it made for a story that felt real and honest. The townies were vicious, and they had their reasons, but it didn't excuse their lack of empathy. And ya know what? I didn't mind that. They were jaded by the way they were treated for years. And this dynamic propelled the story forward as well as created an opportunity for dynamic character arcs.

I loved this book.

Cute fun read about a girl who needs to find herself and a guy who needed her in his life. The story which started off as a bet was bound to go in the wrong direction. Once Mac and Cooper see that they bring out the best in each other you know they were meant to be. I liked this book, hopefully there will be more in this series.