I definitely didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did when I first started it. I thought I would be too annoyed with the rich kid/hard done by jerk boy attitudes but it ended up really working for me. While this book was wildly predictable, I still enjoyed the story and falling in love with the characters. I really enjoyed the character dynamic of the close friends group and obviously the bad boy chasing the good girl trope worked for me overall. Without giving away any spoilers, there were quite a few things that rubbed me the wrong way throughout the book, but I enjoyed it enough to set those aside.

A great cross-class romance! MacKenzie Cabot, or Mac as her friends call her, feels she is ready for the "real world" without attending college. She already has developed a very successful business but still has to attend Garnet College due to a promise she made to her parents and her boyfriend. She has her future mapped out until she meets local boy, Cooper Hartley, and finds something that may alter all her future plans. Cooper isn't looking for anything but revenge when he meets Mac but she surprises him by not being the typical rich girl clone. They come from very different social classes and their friends and family don't approve of this possible relationship so they face an uphill climb.
The characters are very complex and likeable. The problems that the couple face feel real, natural and well thought out by the author. I enjoyed the writing style and alternating point of views to tell the story.
I am excited to visit Avalon Bay in the next installment of the series, Bad Girl Reputation.
I am grateful to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

First and foremost, this is an adult romance that I read for my own personal enjoyment and not with the intent of sharing it with my students. I did not enjoy the whole “poor guy seeks revenge by making rich girl fall in love with him” trope. The writing itself was not good either.

I was a bit put off by the hatred that Cooper had for all of the college kids. It made it hard like him as a character or root for him with Mac. Unfortunately, this book/series just won't be for me.

2.5/5

This was a little bit underwhelming for an Elle Kennedy book. The characters were ok and the book itself was entertaining in a campy and fun way, but it was lacking in the chemistry department. The sex scenes were also very vanilla for an EK book. Also, the end was very abrupt! The book needed an additional chapter or two.

This one was just ok for me. I absolutely loved the deal so I had high hopes going into this one. Part of my issue was that I never felt a super strong connection to Cooper or Mackenzie. They had some likable moments, but I struggled to find them relatable or interesting. I do like Elle Kennedy’s writing style and this book was no exception. It was easy to read, I just wasn’t invested in what I was reading.

Elle Kennedy is a complicated author for me. Although I absolutely love the Off Campus series, her last book in that universe “The Legacy” was an astronomical let down. So I wasn’t too excited to read this book.

I hate to say it but I wasn’t entirely wrong, I mean, “Good Girl Complex” isn’t a BAD book, it’s just a little bit boring for my taste, very very very cliche, and not in a good way. 2.5 STARS

I was so excited to receive this ARC copy because I really enjoyed Elle Kennedy's other books (Off-Campus and Briar U). I will say that Elle Kennedy was my first foray into the contemporary romance genre and I was a bit hesitant to pick up more of her books because I think my opinions on her books have ultimately changed, but I was excited nonetheless. So, to say I was disappointed with this book sucks to be frank.

I think I was excepting a cute beachy romance from the cover with a bit of a summer romance vibe, but it was not that at all. It was more of a college romance that happens to take place in a "beach town" (it was giving Dawson's Creek and Outer Banks without any of the charm). Regardless of what my expectations were, I was expecting a good romance like her other books delivered, but unfortunately her characters in this book fell a little flat and too one dimensional to me.

The main character was screaming "not like other girls" and I did not like her love interest and how he was basically lying to her the entire time. The plot was also way too dragged out and it was even a little convoluted at times. There were plot points that got completely overlooked by the end of the book that had me very confused. I was also expecting to love the side characters (like at lot her other books) but they also fell into the background and lacked all the charm they usually give.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC (advanced reader's copy) in exchange for an honest review.

I loved a numbrr of Kennedy’s books in the past but I really can’t get behind the cheating trope no matter how seemingly deserved. Moreover, The character building of the main characters just isn’t really there for me.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I truly enjoyed how protective Cooper was of his colleague Steph against Preston. I adored Bonnie and MacKenzie's characters. I enjoyed the steamy romance within this book. Elle Kennedy did a fantastic job writing this college romance. This book is in stores for CA$22.99 (CAD).

I was really intrigued by this book. I have heard amazing things about Elle Kennedy and this cover! However, I was really bored by most of this book and found it very predictable. I also think I've reached a point where college-age romances must not be my thing, given the numerous rave reviews for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I finally finished this book, after the almost 2.5 months it took to read it. I have been reflecting as to what about it made it so hard for me to finish (as I can finish many books in a day or two), and so much about this book had appealed to me. It has alternating perspectives between the two main characters (which I love), it has a grumpy-sunshine trope (kinda), it has people defying expectations and breaking free of what is expected of them to find a place where they feel they belong. The one knock in the blurb, that I knew from the get-go was going to be a bummer for me, was the "secret that could destroy them" trope, cause I hate when an entire relationship implodes when they could have just talked to each other and it would have been fine. But these things aside, I still found myself struggling to pick up, let alone finish, this book.

I am not sure if I know the answer. This could be one of those books that I like on paper (in blurb form) and just not as much in reality. I can only really think of one thing that sticks out as being a major issue for me, and that's the fact that Cooper's temper and impulsivity made me want to smack him. Like I get it, you trust no one and nothing, but also, if you maybe spent five minutes talking to literally any other human in the world, some (definitely not all - looking at you Shelley) of your problems would be solved. All of the other things in this book were just feelings I had that made it hard for me to continue reading. I am not giving up on this author or even other books from this set, as the characters were varied, but this was not what I was expecting it to be.

Elle Kennedy has a knack for writing romantic relationships with a little bit of *spice* This one is different from her other books, but I was hoping she would try something other than a college romance. This book was good and I'm interested in reading the rest in this series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Let me preface this by saying how much I've been looking forward to this book, and also that I didn't know it was meant to be YA? It definitely did not read like a YA romance, but it also seemed really convoluted and random. The writing was very descriptive and I could definitely picture the town and boardwalk. While other reviewers seem to have issue with points of the storyline, I found it to be pretty believable. Afraid to disappoint controlling parents? Yep. Local f boy trying to get revenge in a gross way? Yep, seems plausible. 20 year old millionaire making hasty decisions? Yep.
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That being said, I do wish we would have at least gotten an epilogue to see how the hotel renovation came out. All in all, I enjoyed reading it and even found myself smiling while doing so. 3.5⭐ rounded up for GR

I have recently discovered Elle Kennedy’s books and my life will never be the same!

Mackenzie is from a wealthy family and wants to have her independence. Cooper is a guy from the wrong side of the beach town. He starts dating her to get back at her douchebag boyfriend, but as you can guess, sparks fly. But do they need more than just chemistry to make it work. This book definitely as the Outerbanks vibes with the haves and have-nots.

I really liked the small town setting, close friendships and the banter between Cooper and Mac.
Was this storyline predictable from the beginning – yes. Was I completely invested anyway – yes!
If you are a looking for a light, easy romance I would recommend picking this one up!
Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the ebook!

I absolutely loved this book from the author to the heartbreak (and mending) it did to my heart. What started out as a bet turns into both of them falling in love and I cannot get enough of this trope. Not only is the book amazing, but the female representation is just...*chefs kiss*. Mac is independent and won't take shit from anyone even if it's her own family. She built a whole business from the ground, up without any support from anyone. Let's not forget about Cooper the supportive and "bad boy" boyfriend. All throughout this book I thought to myself "where can I buy one?" This masterpiece made my heart ache and go a hundred miles an hour. Read it, you won't regret it.

Elle Kennedy has done it again. I fell in love with her with her Off-Campus series and it’s so exciting to see her being traditionally published now!

Good Girl Complex brings us to Avalon Bay, a small beachside town, where Mackenzie “Mac” Cabot has just moved to. She has to start college due to her parents demands instead of focusing on her internet business she’d rather spend her time on. Her life is laid out for her. Of course until we meet the local bad boy Cooper Hartley. Even though Cooper has grown to dislike all “clones”, these trust-fund kids who think they can just come in and do whatever they’d like, he and Mac grow a sweet friendship. He brings out a side of Mac she’s been so careful to keep at bay. But he’s keeping a secret from her that could threaten the only place she’s had that felt like home.

This was great! I absolutely adored everything about this book. There’s were definitely moments that some things seems a bit predictable, but then it came back in a different way from what I was expecting. I can’t wait to read the next book following Cooper’s twin brother Evan!

More often than not, I found myself bored while reading this book. Yes, romance follows a certain narrative or formula. But I wanted to be swept away, to forget that I knew how it was going to end. The problem is that I didn't. At every point I was not only aware of how the book would end, but of what would happen next. Nothing was surprising, which made it hard to invest in the story and the characters. They were fine, the story was fine. But I didn't catch feelings, I wasn't invested or even interested at some points. Overall, I was disappointed.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Mackenzie lives her life by trying to keep her parents and boyfriend happy. Her parents have set high expectations for her that she will settle down and marry the perfect man and live as a sheltered and pampered society wife. Mackenzie chafes at this a bit but generally follows their wishes.
This all changes when she goes to college and meets Cooper. He encourages her to follow her heart and live her life her way.
Of course romance ensues between them and Mac dumps her boyfriend.
The pacing of the story was good for the most part but I felt the ending was rushed.
The characters and the storyline were interesting. I enjoy books by this author and will be reading more from her.