I am always a sucker for a good bet/revenge dating trope. I really loved this book and Mac and Cooper were adorable. I also am obsessed with the fact that their first few kisses were cheater kisses, I love cheaters. The blow up at the end was really good and Coopers plan to get her back was cute.

My only complaint with the book was that at one point Mac got upset and said she was tired of the microaggressions that were being said towards her. Considering every person in the book was white I really did not like that.

I received a copy through netgalley.

It's like a beach town version of the haves and have-nots with some Outter Banks thrown in. The townies always having to serve the rich folk who think they can get away with anything simply because they can. But all hearts beat the same underneath. Cooper will find this out in the most unexpected way.

What starts as a plot for revenge ends up costing him more than he ever thought he valued when he sets his sights on Mac. I loved every moment. Please tell me Kennedy is making this a new series, cause I need so much more!

What a perfect way to end my 2021 summer reading.
~Tanja

I love it when a book delivers on the trope it hinted at and then some. That’s basically what Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy did!

This book was only my third contemporary this year that I finished! My first new adult romance in like forever and I’m so happy it met my expectations. In fact, this book gave me the same kind of feeling I had when I finished the Deal and you guys know how much I loved The Deal!

Anyway…first off, we get to meet an entirely new set of characters. From trust fund kids to townies, this set of characters are familiar for those who loves NA romance but what I liked about this set of characters is the way Elle gave them each a personality, established connections, set rivalries that I hope is going to pay off in the future. *hint hint we need more books please!

Second, Mac and Cooper. They are the stars. And like I mentioned before, Elle really took her time developing both characters, giving them personalities, hopes and dreams, and flaws, and character development. Which is often my frustration with a lot of NA romance. Yes, there’s heat but where’s the character development, huh?

Well, in this book, you get all of it. You get the heat, chemistry. character and relationship development. And considering the relationship between Coop and Mac didn’t exactly start out with the best intentions on Cooper’s part. The motivation behind how they met and why is huge part of the plot so I won’t spoil but trust me, it’s not pretty. It’s a hard trope to pull off but Elle Kennedy did it and she gave me the resolution I wanted with a few surprises along the way.

The only reason why it’s not a full 5 stars is that this book needed to have an epilogue!

I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil anything but add this to your TBR and read it as soon as it’s out.

I enjoyed this one! It's my first time reading Elle Kennedy and I'm definitely not disappointed. I was worried that this would be cringey or predictable based off of the synopsis, but I'm glad to say I was SO wrong. Elle did a great job making this good girl/bad boy trope actually fun. This was a super cute read and the cover is so adorable. Can't wait for it to be published:)

I just have to say that this book was absolutely amazing!! It kept me captivated and interested from page one. I will recommend this to anyone who reads.

Honestly Elle Kennedy has very much so always been a pretty go to author for me. I’ve enjoyed many of her works in the past and I really wait for her next romances to surprise me and this was no exception at all. I loved it. It was the perfect type of romance that I needed at a time like this and Kennedy didn’t disappoint.

This was the type of book where you see two very different individuals with very different things they want in life come together and see what life would be like. They were romantic moments but there were also moments that touched you and I think that’s really the main reason why I ended up loving this book more the more. 5 out of 5 stars!

I love Elle Kennedy's new adult college hockey romances, so I was really excited to read this one. Similar to her other books, it's super easy to read and compelling. I love the way she makes her settings and sets of characters seem almost cinematic. They are the height of fantasy. I thought this book was quite strong. The main characters had interesting back stories and the wide cast of characters gives lots of possibilities for future books. I did think that there were perhaps too many dark moments in the last third of the book, and too many fights. I didn't feel confident that Mac and Cooper would make it through their issues even after the book ended. I also felt like the grovel wasn't quite sufficient and that the villain of the story didn't quite get his comeuppance. I still look forward to reading any future works in this possible series. Thanks for the arc!

Really great book, perhaps too predictable...

I was so excited when I got this e-arc!! Elle Kennedy's books are usually so good! Unfortunately, something was missing for me in this one...

Don't get me wrong, it was still good! Preppy and rich Mackenzie wants to get out of her "rich life" because apparently, it sucks! So she meets local, somewhat poor, beautiful, bad boyish Cooper Hartley. The two develop an insanely cute romance that is threatened by an important secret that Cooper is keeping from Mac.

Something was just missing for me to make the story special! A lot of the storyline elements gave me a sort of deja vu so it's safe to say I wasn't blown away!

Nonetheless, my expectations might have been too high for this book. On its own, it's a really cute, fluffy romance book that is easily enjoyable if you like Elle Kennedy's writing style!

3.5/5

I really enjoyed Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus series and thought I would give Good Girl Complex a try. I am a romance fan but I couldn’t connect to the story or characters. The writing didn’t feel like an Elle Kennedy story. It read like a fledgling author.

I definitely consider myself a fan of Elle Kennedy and was greatly looking forward to this book. A bad boy romance sounded like a perfect summer read. The moments that Mac and Cooper are just hanging out together and their chemistry is flaring are just magical. I loved reading about them as a couple. All of the stuff surrounding them was too much for my tastes, I did not like the set up of there relationship and I found all of the trappings of Mac's poor little rich girl style life over the top. Her parents and boyfriend were villainous caricatures that took me out of the story any time they were on the page. I still loved Mac and Cooper together so much that this book remains a book I will end up revisiting and recommending,

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,

***Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Griffin and Elle Kennedy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

This book was everything I love from Elle Kennedy: lots of irresistible chemistry, heat, depth of character and a layered evolution of 2 people falling in love with each other. Mac (Mackenzie) is a total badass, leaving behind the people in her life that tried to control her and taking control of her life, taking chances and really truly living for the first time. She brings out the best in Cooper, who despite a rocky start is a standup guy. Evan, Cooper’s twin, took a long time to come around so I’m hoping we get to see more of him in a future story, even though this book is listed as a stand-alone. Cooper’s tight knit group of friends don’t exactly welcome Mac into their group with open arms, but only 1 managed to resist Mac’s charm. I loved all the feels of watching our couple fall and fight and makeup and figure out what they want and need from one another.

4.5 stars

Elle Kennedy’s ‘Good Girl Complex’ hits the perfect intersection of grumpy/sunshine and opposites attract, resulting in all around amazingness. There’s banter in spades, and white-hot chemistry that will leave you begging for more.

When Cooper Hartley sets his sights on Mackenzie Cabot, his motivations are far from pure. A “townie” tired of being mistreated by the town’s elite, Cooper thinks that Mackenzie is just another rich girl clone. When he finds out that’s not the case? Well. Things get super complicated. Mac Cabot is tired of towing the line, of feeling like she’s a placeholder in her own life. So, when she meets the broody, tattooed Cooper, she starts to realize she wants more. More out of her life. And more from him. Little does she know that Cooper has a secret. A big one. One that could be a complete game changer.

One of the things Kennedy excels at as a writer is creating fictional places that feel real. Her world building is great, and the reader becomes invested not just in the story of the protagonists, but in the stories of the secondary characters as well. My hope is that there is another interconnected standalone coming, because I’m not ready to say goodbye to this place or these characters.

Mac and Cooper are absolute fire together, whether they’re loving each other or fighting each other; their connection is palpable. Kennedy deftly shows how people can seem like they’re opposites in every way, but are actually more alike than they ever would have guessed. Add in witty banter and hilarious moments, and I’m all the way in.

A sincere thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading this book and I definitely think that there are people out there that would love this story. However, I think that the specific tropes included within this story are not my personal favorite. I enjoyed the characters, however, I found that I related little to their motivations. Overall, it is a cute love story for people who want a story that solely focuses on romance. I also enjoyed the journey that the two main characters go through throughout the book. I will definitely be recommending this book to the romance lovers in my life.

I LOVED this omg.
It was everything I needed in a romance!!!!

For me Elle Kennedy is an auto-read. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this book. I finished it two days ago and I am still thinking about Cooper and Mackenzie.
This is great for those who want to get into romance with a nice splash of smutt.

We need an Epilogue. BADLY

DNF 35%

I was such a fan of the author's off-campus series and I was excited to see what else she had to offer with a non-sports romance, new release. Sadly, this was not my cup of tea at all. I tired so hard to get myself through this, but the writing and the characters felt so juvenile. As a college student myself, I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for some good romance, but this was not a good romance, nor could ignore how out of touch everything was.

I read this very quickly, i wanted to know what would happen but this whole thing felt a tiny bit too cliché… i have a soft spot for twins in stories, and this one has two amazing twin characters, but i was not convinced by mackenzie.

Elle Kennedy has created a really fun and interesting take on the good girl/bad boy trope.

Cooper and Mac are from very different lifestyles. Mac is a very wealthy good girl, who aims to please her family and their expectations, even when it goes against her desires. Cooper is a poor, hard working "townie" who hates Mac's type. But circumstances arise that he needs to get to know her and date her.

The story is very cute and funny. The banter is absolutely *chef's kiss* perfect. I loved the beach town/ college setting and how both of the MCs were developed. I wish there was a bit more spice, but I enjoyed the tension and build up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. My views and opinions are entirely my own.

St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin many thank to you my friend!
It is currently 1:32am and I literally just finished Good Girl Complex by Elle!

Funny, sweet, sad and sexy story? I'm all game!
Elle reeled my heart in with this adorable story!
This book has squeezed my heart since the beginning. it’s extremely emotional ride was such a sweet, teary, touchy, trust, love, self worth, brave read! And I loved everything about it!
The writing was great, I was pulled in to the book from the first page..
These characters what can I say? I loved them but wanted to scream at them! But I loved them more..... LoL
Long story short.... read this book! You won't be disappointed!


PS.... Martin Press oh my gawd.... I need Cast's newest book.... Omens Bite.... Freaking loved Spells Trouble!!!! desperately in need! 🙏

This romance was fantastic. It reminded me a lot of the Netflix tv show Outer Banks (season 1 romance) in the best way. He wanted to date a rich girl “clone” as a form of revenge and she was thrilled with his bad boy “townie” aura. They realized they brought out the best and worst of each other but fell in love anyway. There’s a secret that threatens to tear them apart and can they work past their own stubbornness and argumentative natures to make it last?

I loved this book. Elle Kennedy does it again. The steamy scenes in this were very different from the ones in the hockey boys books. This was more focused on the romance and less on the details and nature if their physical relationship. I enjoyed it but also it seemed like it was a bit unnecessary because of it. Cooper showed growth and development as did Mac and Evan. The rest of the characters development was pretty stagnant but it didn’t take from the story.

I would 100 % recommend this book to everyone it really is a great spring/ summer read. There’s a rainstorm and everything!

This was a romance with a twist. What started off as a revenge mission turned into love. I liked how Cooper and Mac while initially drawn to each other did have a bit of conflict. It was great that Mac finally realized that Preston wasn't what she wanted and was able to remove herself from her parents' shadows. The dog was a nice addition and so was the thieving mother. This book had a lot of twists and turns which is what made it more than your typical romance. Nice, light read.