Member Reviews

The Good Girl Complex fills all your desires for a good girl/bad boy book. The two main characters are incredibly relatable. Mac, the good girl with rebellious tendencies is exactly what you would want in a heroine. She's someone most girls could relate to. She always wants to do the right thing and live up to the expectations surrounding her but then, she meets Cooper, and suddenly, none of that matters much anymore... Cooper, the bad boy, is undeniably himself, he's also hard and gruff on the outside and not afraid to get into a fight. This book was so intriguing not only because of the characters and the trope they represented, but it was so fun, watching Cooper's walls come down as he realizes he's falling for Mac. She entirely sucks him in and he is helpless to stop it. He would probably loathe this description of him but he is a total cinnamon roll where Mac is concerned.

Not only were the MC's to die for but so were the side characters! I mean... come on... a TWIN?! Also, the ladies in this book did not disappoint with how they accelerated the plot. Avalon Bay might be a fictional town but Elle Kennedy did a wonderful job of placing you right in the town and making you feel like you were there while reading. While overall this book was phenomenal there were some story elements that I'm not a fan of. This book, however, is definitely one I will purchase a physical copy of when it comes out in paperback in Feb of next year!

If you read the After series and loved it you will not be disappointed by this book. I read this book in less than two days and I am HONORED that St. Martin's Press chose me to read and review the book early.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review. I was super excited to read this book! The good girl/bad boy trope has always been a guilty pleasure of mine!

I almost stopped reading when a certain arrangement was made near the beginning but I am so glad I didn’t! This book pulled me in with its characters, and beach city vibes. This was a fun and easy read that I finished in one sitting. I am looking forward to reading more from this author!

Was this review helpful?

This is my first Elle Kennedy book so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the beach setting, good girl/bad boy premise, and all the different elements that came together to tell the funny, complicated, and heartwarming story of Mackenzie Cabot & Cooper Hartley. Good Girl Complex touches on friendship, strained family relationships, taking chances in life & it definitely has some spice to it!! Perfect beach read & would definitely recommend. Four stars. Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I swear anything Elle Kennedy touches is pure gold! I am so obsessed with her, and this book was no exception! I absolutely loved this book! All of the characters were super lovable, and I couldn't stop reading. I do wish the infidelity could have been omitted, but overall, I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy of this book!

Was this review helpful?

Another Elle Kennedy book??!! Yes, please!

Ever since reading her Briar U and Off-Campus books, I have loved her different works. I was so psyched when I got approved to review her newest book (which I had no idea was coming out). This book follows the top of a good, rich girl and a bad, poor boy. While this is a well-known trope, I have not read too many contemporary books under this trope and I think Elle Kennedy did a wonderful job writing this out.
My only complaint was the book seemed a little dragged out. It felt a bit longer than Kennedy's other books. There was also an action scene that was missing. I feel in most of Elle Kennedy's book there is a moment of action that was missing here. Nevertheless, the book was quite enjoyable and I would recommend to any of Elle Kennedy's fans.

Was this review helpful?

I can't get Avalon Bay or of my head. I want to visit, I want to stay at the hotel. Well rounded story with lovely characters.

Was this review helpful?

Elle Kennedy has a way with character development that is unparalleled. Not only do you care about the hero/heroine, a couple from vastly different backgrounds, but the supporting characters make the story even better. Elle always builds a romance that sizzles and builds heat, and she makes it entirely realistic and rewarding. I was eager for this read and I was not disappointed.

Was this review helpful?

really liked this book, it was fun and easy to get through. mac is a great character she isn’t the usually annoying na mc she and cooper had a lot of chemistry which is why i didn’t mind how fast their relationship moved, i liked the side characters even more and evan and mac’s relationship was the best thing. and i have a feeling that we’re also gonna get evan’s book.

Was this review helpful?

Cooper is a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks and Mackenzie is a good girl well on her way to living the life her upscale parents have carefully planned for her. When their worlds collide, because of a dare, they soon start to realize that despite their obvious differences they have more in common then they realized.

The chemistry between Cooper and Mackenzie vibrated off the pages. I couldn't put this book down and read it in one sitting!

Was this review helpful?

So good! I'm a huge fan of Elle Kennedy's other series so I was stoked when I heard this was coming out. The book is so much better than I expected. Filled with so much depth, the characters quickly become your favorites when going through their very "real' problems.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy.

I chose to read this book based on the cover and for once, it paid off!
This was a fun, quick and a little steamy read - I thoroughly enjoyed it!
It would be perfect as a beach/laying by the pool read.

I thought the characters were witty - Mac and Cooper had such great witty rapport. I also enjoyed the various perspective and how the chapters change narrators. They are so radically different and I love how Kennedy was able to lift their voices from off the pages.

The only downside of The Good Girl Complex was the one instance of domestic abuse where Mac slaps Cooper. In this day and age, domestic violence shouldn't be condoned.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Griffin for the ARC to create an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I was super excited to get an ARC of this book from Netgalley! To me this is a perfect book to read in the summer (but really anytime lol). Love that it is set in a beachside town. It gives me OC meets Gossip Girl meets Outer Banks (only because that show is set in a Carolina beach town, which this book is as well). Good Girl Complex is about Meg (wealthy, business savvy, but comfortable with her uber wealthy boyfriend) and Cooper (local townie who hasn't had an easy upbringing). Through unsuspecting cirmcumstances and a revenge plot these two end up falling for each other. But the question is, will they be strong enough to survive their differences and obstacles in the way.

I love Cooper. He is everything we love in a main male character. Tall, darkish, tattoos, gruff, and a rough exterior. Did I mention tattoos? lol Meg is a good mixture of independent yet not, in so many different ways. She has a go get them personality but struggles to show it to her parents.

I really enjoyed the interactions between Cooper and his friends. His twin brother was a bit of a hoot (like the comic relief so to speak).

If you love a good rom-com, then you will love this book as well.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to #Stmartain’spress and #Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel to fairly and honestly review.

In Good Girl Complex, talented author Elle Kennedy tells the story of Cooper and ‘Mac’ who struggle to build a relationship in the small college town of Avalon Bay. In order to build a future ‘Mac’ must overcome her Good Girl Complex that comes from the need to please and earn the love of her rich ‘high society’ parents and learn to trust in her own abilities. Cooper must overcome the belief that he is a carbon copy of his, ‘loser parents. Can they accomplish this and find each other along the way?
Join them in this charming, thought-provoking novel filled with endearing secondary characters who challenge and support ‘Mac’ and Cooper as they build their future.

Was this review helpful?

Elle Kennedy is back with a stunning new romance that is a necessity for the beach bag. Good Girl Complex transports readers into the dreamy Avalon Bay, where a front row seat to Mac and Cooper's relationship is ready to set sail. The "Good girl/Bad boy" dynamic is something I always love reading in books, for the opposites attract value always brings something special to the story. Elle Kennedy's take on this was absolutely phenomenal--which should be no surprise for the queen of romance. Mackenzie Cabot and Cooper Hartley were so well defined in not only their relationship, but in their singularity as characters. They both had their own backstories and past that added layers of depth into the narrative. This book also tied family dynamics into the plot, which added more substance to the story as a whole. Readers can expect the same wonderful side characters, emotion, and yes--spice, from Kennedy's new release. Fans of her other books, and new readers as well, should absolutely have their eye out for this book come February 2022!

Was this review helpful?

4.5/5 stars!!

*Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*

I loved this book. The Good Girl Complex was such a fun and quick read, I could not put it down for the life of me and finished the entire book within a handful of hours. I don't normally like books with cheating in it, however this was an exception. I loved the depth of the characters and how real the romance in this book felt. Although, Cooper and Mac come from too different worlds, they really aren't all that different. The banter in this book was absolutely fantastic and one of my favorite parts. Both Mac and Cooper are quick with a comeback and had great chemistry. This book is the perfect NA romance to get you out of a reading slump and I highly recommend it!

A review of this title can also be found on my Goodreads account.

Was this review helpful?

Love Elle Kennedy and loved her latest, Good Girl Complex! The characters are very well developed and you quickly learn who you love and who you hate. Intriguing storyline and setting. Overall, really enjoyed this book!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC! I’m a big fan of Elle Kennedy, and even though this book has some of my not-so-favorite tropes, in her hands the story of the characters really come to life. These felt like real people, with real struggles. Setting is cute (though at times I felt hard to believe these were teens). Has all the ingredients of a great summer romance read!

Was this review helpful?

Good Girl Complex was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2022. I loved Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series so I was very enthusiastic to read a new book by her. And she does not disappoint. The characters were witty and alluring. The chemistry between the love interests melted off the pages, making you want them to be together immediately (even though you know from both perspectives why they shouldn’t). This book was definitely a fun and quick read that I cannot wait to start recommending to my friends and anyone else who I know would love another amazing Elle Kennedy book. Looking forward to buying a physical copy of this book to put on my shelf!

Was this review helpful?

So cute! This story had a little bit of everything that l love in a book. It was sweet and sexy, laugh out loud funny and kind of sad. A perfect combination. I'll be sure to recommend this gem!

Was this review helpful?

I feel for the characters almost immediately. The Good Girl Complex is lighthearted, quirky, fun — a perfect read for your book club. Pick it up immediately and enjoy.

Was this review helpful?