A cute second chance romance.
Like most reviewers are saying it was a fun and easy read. I did really enjoy these two. I’ve been in a reading rut and a light read what exactly what I needed. So happy I took a chance on this one.

A second chance romance and the second book in the “Avalon Bay” series, but can be read as a stand-alone. It’s about two passionate high school sweethearts rekindling a sizzling relationship and a deeper look at what means to be sober-minded and forgiving of oneself.

Genevieve West is a reformed bad girl and back in town for her mother’s funeral. She’s trying to avoid her old flame Evan Hartley because the two of them always end in destruction. It seems like everywhere she turns Evan appears. Evan will stop at nothing to get back into Genevieve’s life, even if it means turning over a new leaf. The two of them can’t seem to stay away and can they still have fun without burning their whole town down?

I was really looking forward to this book because I loved Evan so much in “Good Girl Complex,” but the chemistry was lacking and I felt like there was too much focus on other newly developing relationships. I’m still glad we got their complete story, but I wish Kennedy had added more passion to the intimate scenes. For being a couple who is supposed to be madly and wildly in love, there just wasn’t much chemistry. This was an okay read, but not what I was expecting.

Not what I was expecting. I was expecting this book to grab me from the beggining and for it to have so much personality. But it was slow and kind of meh until the middle and of course by then I had already lost interest.

I was super excited to read this after devouring Good Girl Complex! I couldn’t wait to read more about Evan and Gen’s relationship. I really felt for Gen throughout this story - former bad girl trying to be good and move on from her past mistakes. And as much as Evan and Gen tried to stay apart they just couldn’t help falling right back in love. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

it’s so rare to me that I find a sequel in a duology that I love!! 🥰🥰 and I loved gwen and evan’s story just as much as mac and cooper’s!!!!

what I love about elle kennedy’s writing is that it’s a typical contemporary romance set up, but the characters just jump off the page in such a realistic setting that it makes me grin!

seeing gwen’s struggle to become her own person was refreshing to me. as someone who has gone through trauma like gwen has, it causes deep unsettling emotions and fears that last for a lifetime - and seeing someone like me work through that on page was so wonderful 🫶🏼

while I wasn’t a fan of evan in the first book, GOOD GIRL COMPLEX, he certainly grew on me! the whole bad boy turned good trope is a bit unrealistic and overdone, but I still enjoyed reading nonetheless

love is full of complications, so if you want a story that’s realistic and messy, definitely give this one a shot!

rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: malibu coast malbec

When I start to read a book, a free ARC at that, and immediately think “Take my money!” so I preorder the hard copy before I’ve even finished reading because I’m that sure I’m going to want the physical book to grace my shelves…? What better review could I provide than to say that after receiving a *FREE* copy (in exchange for my honest review) I spent my money to ensure I had a physical hard copy version? In my opinion, there is no better statement than “So good, so great, take my money!”. Great read!

I loved every minute of reading Bad Girl Reputation. I love how this book was about second chances and loved reading about Gen and Evan.

And I loved how Gen gets the job Mac's hotel and they become friends too.

There wasn't anything I disliked about this book. It was just as good as the first book.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me the chance to read and review. Thoughts and opinions are my own. Post will be on blog soon.

When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s prepared to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Their history is rife with turbulence. And passion. A heck of a lot of passion...which she’s trying desperately to forget. 

But it’s impossible not to run into Evan in the small coastal town where they once ran wild. And the moment she sees her gorgeous ex again, it’s clear to Gen that Evan is still as unruly, sexy, and irresistible as ever. This time around, however, she’s resolved to walk a new path. No more partying. No more foolish mistakes. Her plan is to temporarily remain in town to help her father run his business, but the second he finds somebody else, she’s out of there.

Evan has other ideas. He knows they can be good together, but he just has to convince Genevieve of that, even if it means turning over a new leaf himself. But can a bad reputation ever truly be shed? Do second chances really work? Genevieve and Evan are about to find out.


I loved Coop and Mac’s story, where we are first introduced to Evan and Gen’s relationship, and couldn’t wait to pick this one up! Gen has decided it’s time to grow up and find herself, and Even doesn’t want to let her go. It was fun watching Evan find his way to being a “model citizen”. Great lesson about how you can change your habits, but you are still you. A fun second chance romance, and a perfect beach read!

This is a second chance contemporary romance, the story between Gen and Evan. I love Elle Kennedy and her writing, but I felt this story a bit off, it was too predictable so even though the plot is entertaining I knew what will be coming next and that left me a bit disappointed, however the audiobook narrated by Lee Samuels and Summer Morton was a better option, they kept a good rhythm and pacing, did a good job portraying the characters and made it a better story. So I recommend doing the audio instead.

Had not read the first book before reading this one so I was a bit nervous. However, I really enjoyed the romance this book had. I had read some elle kennedy before and loved those. It feels like a quick fun read. Might have to go and check out good girl complex as well.

3.5 stars.

Warning: slight spoilers

I have not read the first book in the Avalon Bay series, so I'm not sure if that would change how I felt the series progressed or not, but I did enjoy this book. The main characters annoyed me here and there, and I felt like I didn't really connect with their characters. SPOILER... I hated the "break up" at 90% finished. One of my least favorite things in books is the drama that happens right at the end, and this is one of the reasons why I rated it a 3.5. It was a very short lived break up but nonetheless still irritated me. I might go and read the first book in the series to see Cooper and Mac's story, but having read a few of Elle Kennedy's other books, this was not what I expected, although that is not a bad thing because I still enjoyed the second chance lovers story!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5/5

Bad girl reputation was literally just that in the title but trying to loose it. I felt more for Genevieve in this book trying to shed her bad girl reputation and it doesn’t help when one of the town deputies has a vendetta against you. Speaking of the deputy eww eww barf 🥴 when he’s mention you will just cringe.

Evan is a sweetie but he also needs to shed that bad boy reputation and grow up a bit. We see that throughout the book some. There were definitely moments where I was like ughhh just stop you’re making it worse.

They’re love story is that girl meets boy, becomes best friends which turns into a world wind young love story turned dark and now they’re slowly trying to make their way back to one another

I am loving this series so far! The Avalon Bay crew is tons of fun, and I’m loving the mixture of soapy coming of age and heartfelt moments Elle is bringing to this series.Bad Girl Reputation is a great second chance story full of growth, with characters figuring themselves out just as much as they are figuring out their first love.

This story centers on Evan and Gen- estranged exes who’ve not spoken since Gen left town a year ago. After a year of figuring herself out and trying to get her life together, she’s now back for her mother’s funeral and to support her father. She’s determined to stay away from Evan, hopeful that she can avoid old habits that she seems to fall into courtesy of their intense, turbulent but addictive off-on relationship. She’s grown a lot in her time away, and Gen wants to keep moving forward, but in the small Avalon Bay world, avoiding him is pretty much impossible. And Evan wants anything but distance from the girl that got away- he wants her to see him as part of her journey forward, and that means that he TOO needs to grow and evolve. Time to confront their bad reputations.

I love this type of second chance- people who were wild and unruly and perhaps even toxic for one another now trying to figure out if their relationship can evolve into something more healthy- if their connection can grow as both of them grow as characters. Does love growth with you? Gen has already been doing some work, and Evan has to catch up- but his commitment to pursuing something with her has him figuring some things out, but he still has some lingering hurt that Gen just left him behind. Both characters have some maturing to do, and I abbreviated the opportunities this created for vulnerability between them. And even though all that sounds like a quiet serious story, we have lots of fun and funny moments as well. Evan is quite humorous, and Gen is one tough cookie. I do wish was had a bit more steam.

At times Gen’s growth feels like she’s almost forcing it, but I appreciated that thematically this was a story about growing up but still staying true to yourself. You can be a better version of yourself without forgetting who you really are. And I enjoyed seeing these two try to figure that out together. Hoping for more Avalon Bay fun!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4647140792

If you like previous Elle Kennedy books, you'll like this one too. It's very much in the same vein: two characters who fight a lot but who also have a lot of chemistry. They are drawn to each other, and you know that when they get together, they will combust. This one is a second chance romance between Genevieve and Evan. She left her small town after a traumatic incident, and left her love without a word. He's been reeling from it. When she returns home, they have a lot to unpack, and Genevieve needs to deal with family issues as well as her own insecurity about her "impulsiveness." This story is pretty predictable, but if you're looking for something easy to read, you'll appreciate the formula of back and forth between these two characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

I have to say, I enjoyed this book more than Good Girl Complex. I think that the journey these characters went on to grow together was more realistic and enjoyable to watch as it played out. I didn’t like how often Gen caved when around Evan in terms of what she said she was going to do, but they had so many cute moments and such a satisfying journey for how they ended up together at the end. I didn’t really understand the point of Gen going out with the police officer for so long as it seemed like an extraneous element that seemed counterproductive; the way that Kennedy resolved that storyline in the end though was very nice. Overall, I wasn’t wowed by this book, but it was a nice romance novel that had some really sweet moments.

DNF @ 70%. I enjoyed book 1 but this one couldn’t keep my attention and I was bored. I tried to push through but I just have no interest in finishing this.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

In Bad Girl Reputation we follow Evan Hartley and his on again off again ex girlfriend Genevieve. Gen comes back home after a year away. Feelings instantly come back to Gen, however she’s trying to let go of her bad girl past and that means letting go of bad guy Evan. Evan wants to rekindle their relationship by proven he can change for the better.

Personally not my favourite from Elle Kennedy. The story was okay but I don’t like when people change themselves for others.

I like that we saw Mackenzie and Cooper from Good Girl Complex. And it pretty much follows the story from where it left off.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advance Readers Copy.

Bad Girl Reputation, the second book in Elle Kennedy’s Avalon Bay series, introduces us to Genevieve West and Evan Hartley, two long-time residents of the town. Genevieve, or Gen, is known for being a wild child, while Evan is the town party boy. Their reputation together as a couple also precedes them, as they’ve been into one another forever and their passion and chemistry are both off the charts. After a particularly embarrassing moment involving another woman’s husband, Gen decides it’s time to grow up and she abruptly leaves town and cuts off contact with Evan. One year later, when her mother dies and her dad asks her to come home and help settle her mom’s affairs, Gen comes face to face with Evan. The attraction is still there of course but can she possibly rekindle her relationship with Evan without spiraling right back into her bad girl habits?

I really enjoyed everything about this story. The growth of Gen throughout the book is just tremendous, and I felt so proud of her, especially since she had practically the whole town watching her and expecting the worst of her. I also loved her chemistry with Evan. They have not only an intense physical connection, but a strong emotional connection as well. All Evan wants is Gen and he’s willing to do anything to make her understand that. When he understands just how important it is to Gen to continue her journey of growth and maturity, he’s 100% on board with it and sets out to make similar changes in his own life. I just adored the idea of the bad boy and the bad girl both growing up together and was cheering them on every step of the way.

With its charming coastal small town setting, its fabulous cast of characters, and a wonderful second chance romance, Bad Girl Reputation is an entertaining read that is sure to please romance fans.

I think anything written by Elle is an automatic read for me cause her stories just seem to flow and I don't want to put the book down. I will say tho I really liked the 1st book a lot more but I did enjoy this story. I love a second chance romance and I love how Gen and Evan both grew individually and as a couple. I love when a book gives us a dual POV and we hear the voice of each of the characters.

Genevieve West has returned to Avalon Bay for her mother's funeral. She hadn't planned to be back anytime soon and was trying to get herself on the straight and narrow. And now she's back to help her father and knows she has to face her past and the bad decisions that she's trying to overcome. Gen is ready to make adult decisions not fueled by alcohol.
Evan Hartley has spent the last year trying to forget Gen, she left without a word and took his bleeding heart with her. Now's she's back and has made it plain she's not going to start down their rocky road again. It's time to grow up and become more than the bad boy on a bike whose a good time and fight brewing. Can second chances be the best redemption and breaking patterns allow you to see that maybe you were always meant to be?