Revenge dating and second chance ... that's all you need to know about this book before picking it up. If that's not your thing then you probably wont like it. This is a new adult contemporary romance, and I do want to say though that yes the book has a very predictable trope and I knew what was going to happen before it did and (even though I hate comparing books) it is very similar to After which is why I took a star off. BUT I still think this version was written well enough that readers will want to finish the story, and it doesn't read like fanfiction so that was a plus for me. so what is this book about ? well like the title implies its about a Mackenzie the "good girl" aka a rich girl that just doesn't seem to be totally involved with her own world, she's almost like an outsider but not really. And then we have Cooper the local tattooed bad boy that came an disturbed her perfect life. The story is told from both pov which I actually enjoyed. I prefer being able to hear the thoughts of both character specially when it doesn't seem to focus more on one over the other. This really allowed me to be able to get more into the story and want to know what else would happen.
Mac's character was likable, it was different to see a girl being portrayed as someone who didn't need to be saved which usually happens when it comes to this type of story line. But she seemed dependent enough and realized what she needed to do on her own, well mostly since it decisions were little bit based of Cooper.
Cooper was the generally misunderstood guy that looks bad but really isn't, he was responsible except for the whole fake dating thing of course. There were times when he was a bigger ass than he needed to be. Those times when he would just randomly say how annoying she could be seemed a bit random to me since they came at times when she wasn't really doing anything to him I think that it would have been better to show those moments as well so that it would make more sense.
The secondary character were well written as well I enjoyed seeing their interaction with them, can Evan get his own book ? thank !
the main reason why I didn't give up on this book was because the author was able to add subplots to the story that gave it what we needed to make it stand out over the other books with a similar story line. Mac's crappy relationship with her long term bf and her parents and Cooper's relationship with his brother and mom really gave it the push I needed to like the story.
I would recommend reading this book because it’s amazingly well done with many different conflicts, character development plus the romance and spice is just good. Also I would say get the audiobook because Joe Arden is one of the narrators and if you've listen to any of the books that he has narrated before then you know why, you wont regret it !
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC

I enjoyed this romance story. I didn't finish it as fast as I would've liked but it had a great overall storyline with romance chemistry that I fell for.

I've been a fan of Elle Kennedy for awhile and was so excited to read this book. I loved the story and was excited that it wasn't your typical romance - it's steamy but I also liked the opposites attract aspect (and the origin of the relationship added drama that you wouldn't get in a rom-com).

This was a great read for fans of her off campus series. It will be interesting to see where the rest of the series goes. I cant wait for the next one.

I found the general idea of this book pretty interesting. The characters have this complicated, unexpected relationship that they’re both genuinely committed to developing. While I liked learning about the characters themselves, I found that the middle part of the book dragged on with plot lines that we really
didn’t need in so much detail. The end felt a bit rushed and we didn’t quite get enough of a resolution, I feel, on some of the more important aspects of the characters’ lives.

This was a great book for people who like fresh-out-of-HS stories. I wasn't a huge fan, but I think a lot of people will definitely love reading this.

I discovered Elle Kennedy quite by accident last year, and was excited to see that she was going to get a traditionally published book. If you take this book at face value, it is very enjoyable. I'm probably older than the target audience but enjoyed it all the same,

Good Girl Complex is such an amazing read. Breaking the rules never looked so good. You have the clone and the townie. The good girl and bad boy. You have looking past a person's status. That added angst and family drama. You have Mackenzie and Cooper who you are just going to love. Mackenzie is the good girl, the clone, more than what she seems and just simply amazing. I love how Mackenzie takes a stand and proves she is more than the girl that comes from money. She is not afraid of hard work. Cooper is that townie bad boy that will own your heart. He may have be a little jaded but he has such a big heart. I love Cooper and Mackenzie together. They make so much sense as you really get to know them. You will swoon when it comes to Cooper. I love Mackenzie and how she does not let anything stand in the way. Cooper and Mackenzie are full of surprises and bring out the best in each other. The Good Girl Complex just gives you these fabulous feels. You need to meet Cooper and Mackenzie and fall in love with them as revenge turns into more.

My first Elle Kennedy book - I had really high expectations, but the characters felt so juvenile and truly grated on me the entire time - I just wanted to smack some sense into them! That being said, I still can't wait to read Bad Girl Reputation, so... I guess it wasn't all bad :)

I was a little worried to see the lower star rating when I went into this one, but I decided to give it a shot and I’ll say I quite in enjoyed it! I peeked at some of the reviews and see a lot of people have compared it to After and that’s why they disliked it. I have never read After, and based upon a number of things I’ve heard about it over the years (re: problematic stuff) I don’t currently have any intention to.

I will say, I am of the belief that nothing is 100 percent original and there are countless romance stories out there with the “guy dates a girl to win a bet” trope. It’s okay to reuse tropes, especially if they’re ones that work. Do I love this trope? Not really. But did I enjoy this book? Absolutely. I’m sad so many have down rated it simply because it’s similar to another book because they are based on the same premise.

As for this book specifically, I loved these Mac and Cooper together! I enjoyed the way they helped each other see that the world around them is not black and white and felt there was some really noticeable character growth throughout—something that isn’t always the case in romcoms. I mentioned that I don’t love this trope, and I feel like for good reason. It’s problematic. It’s dehumanizing toward the target of the bet. But I appreciated that this book quickly went from “I’m doing this for a bet” to “damn this person is not what I expected”. I mean, he DEFINITELY falls first in this one and seeing him grovel when everything comes to light was worth it. Although, I do wish we’d gotten the whole “he dated you for a bet” reveal done and over with earlier in the book.

I did find Mac to be a bit wishy-washy at times, and I see this book as more of a HFN than HEA. It absolutely reads as if it has a HEA, but a piece of me feels like this would have been better as a second chance romance where the characters spend some years apart finding themselves before finding each other again. But! They are great together and I think they are good for each other and can make it work, I just expect a few more bumps in the road (perhaps an epilogue that was further out would have changed this).

Needless to say, this is fun, flirty, and definitely sexy at times. I loved Cooper’s character especially, and enjoyed the growth both characters experience throughout. I think the lower rating is worth a grain of salt in this case.

I haven't read an Elle Kennedy novel in a while, I took a personal break from romance novels for a bit, but I am so glad I picked up Good Girl Complex. It was angsty and fun, a wrong-side of the tracks romance with heat and quality character growth. Mackenzie "Mac" Cabot is the good girl, at least that's what she allows perceptions and her family to believe, but inside she's revolting against all the rules and expectations of a senator's daughter. After a gap year to work on her thriving business, her family is ready for her to go back to school and fall in line by staying with the well-to-do and well-known boyfriend, to get over her "hobby," and to join all the charities she can. Luckily, or rather unluckily, Cooper has his sights set on her to enact revenge against her boyfriend. What starts as revenge turns to more though, especially as Cooper unveils Mac's true self and he finds she's far more than the clone he thought she was.

Mac is a spunky, fiery gal with brains and I just loved her. She was, of course, your classic girl meets boy in terms of falling in love, but made better by her spark. Cooper was classic alpha-male with a heart, but even he I loved. I just enjoy books where the characters are both classic, in terms of the romance genre, but with all the true characteristics that real humans have. I like the reality, I like the growth, and I love the drama! Kennedy checked every box for me with Good Girl Complex and I truly enjoyed this fun adventure. It made me want to dive head on back into romance novels.

I'd call this one a spicy new-adult romance, as the age range of the characters and their interactions are definitely on par with the new-adult genre. That said, the spice is SPICY, and younger NA readers should keep that in mind. In my case, as a 32 year old, I totally loved the spice and felt it was accurate to the age group, the characters' experiences, and the setting of the story.

Romance fans will love this one, especially if they've got a soft spot for angst.

I enjoyed Good Girl Complex. I liked the relationship building between Mac and Cooper and watching the way it developed. I enjoyed how much of a #girlboss Mackenzie is, and how ambitious she is. I also really enjoyed watching her develop friendships with Cooper’s friends and brother.

The only thing I didn’t like is how obvious the third act breakup was from the start so I felt like I was waiting for it the whole book. But other than that this was a good time! I’m really interested in picking up Evan’s story.

A fun, cute and quick read. Think opposite side of the tracks, initial disdain and mistrust that turns the rich girl and bad boy into an item. But the way they get involved and the obstacles they must overcome made me cringe a bit.

The books starts out with your basic rough, poor guy falls in love with rich, seemingly bratty girl. If the narrative were to take some new, fresh perspectives on this trope, I would have found a way to enjoy this, unfortunately, that is not the case. Moreover, connecting to the characters was just about impossible due to the tired prose I wish would have been left on wattpad. Having the heroine caught up in the middle of a revenge plot did not sit right with me, as well as the glorification of cheating and the way their overall relationship was built on a lie. The book did very little in the way of making a fleshed out ending so everything seemed rushed in the last quarter. Overall, this is not a romance novel worth recommending.

Well, I've found a new series to let myself be totally obsessed with. I read this in a single sitting and then turned around and read the next book in the series in a single sitting the next day. I'm in love with Avalon Bay and positively obsessed with Mac and Cooper.

Mac comes from immense wealth and her parents are very controlling over her goals in life, her image, and her path; however she was more for herself than being someone’s trophy wife. In comes, Cooper, the rugged, bad boy in town. I’ll let you discover the rest.

I didn’t love the plot line of actively trying to breakup a relationship, or pursuing someone because of sheer physical attraction. But overall the story has some good lessons.

This story is very steamy, so be prepared for a lot of eggplant emoji.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I just want to preface this review by saying that I really like this author. I’ve read several of her books and I’ve enjoyed many of them, unfortunately this book wasn’t one of them.
I was excited to get an ARC of The Good Girl Complex but it took me forever to get this one read. I just wasn’t invested. I think mostly I didn’t love the plot, the whole lie/dare situation wasn’t for me.
The characters were a little over the top and I didn’t connect with any of them. I’m not sure if I’ll read on in this series or not.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Solid, fun, and easy read!

I enjoyed the water/college town setting a lot!

This book kept me hooked wanting to know the ending.

I found myself cheering on the characters!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I felt it was relatable. If you like to see characters meet and find love with different backgrounds this one is a good read for you. I love the plot and the characters,

I love this author's writing. Based on the synopsis and my experiences with her previous books I was set to fall in love with this cast of characters as well. Unfortunately for me, the pacing was simply too slow.

I chose to not share an in depth review of this title outside of NetGalley. Thank you for my early copy.