Bad Girl Reputation
Avalon Bay Book #2
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Review Copy Provided by the Publisher


After reading Good Girl Complex I was absolutely giddy to finally read Evan’s book. I was dying to really see inside the sarcastic bad boy of Avalon Bay. But honestly, I’m a bit underwhelmed with this book. There wasn’t enough chemistry between Genevieve and Evan. I mean, there was lust, absolutely. But I couldn’t really get a get good sense of anything more serious or deep other than wanting to bone each other.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5013027243
I really liked the characters individually, but together they were just…meh. I love the backdrop of this series. I like the small beach town feel and the close knit group of friends that razz each other.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I just wanted more from this book. I wanted more for Evan. I didn’t feel any connection with Genevieve. Over all it was an ok read, but the first book in the series was so phenomenal that I had very high expectations for this one. I’m definitely going to read the next book in this series.

✨𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨✨

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Bad Girl Reputation
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Elle Kennedy
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶:
-love messy, explosive love
-enjoy alternating POVs
-are team highschool sweethearts reunited trope

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
It’s hard to believe that this was my first Elle Kennedy book! She has been on my TBR for ages, and this was the perfect opportunity to dive into one of her books.

After the death of her mother, Genevieve returns to her hometown and is reunited with her ex, Evan. Their chemistry is undeniable, but Gen is determined not to get pulled back into their crazy ways. More than anything, she wants to turn over a new leaf and leave her bad girl ways in the past. Can she do this? Especially with Evan around?..

Told in alternating POVs, I enjoyed the short chapters and getting to know Evan and Gen better! Yes, their characters are very shallow at times, and their attraction is very physical, but I found myself rooting for them to work out one way or another. There is just something about a bad boy trying to make things right for the girl he loves!

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good book about working through your past to get to the person you want to be. Super touching and meaningful parts. Characters with depth and a storyline that’s easy to follow.

Good spice- multiple scenes.

I was hooked the whole time. It didn’t feel like a chore to read this. I really enjoyed the story and loved getting to know new characters while revisiting old ones. Approaches dark material in a way that makes me feel optimistic.

Interconnected standalone series. You don’t have to read Cooper’s story (book1) to follow this.

18+ check content warnings

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital ARC.

Another great book by Elle Kennedy.
Thanks net galley for the ARC. Fantastic read, love the story characters. Must read!!

If you liked Elle Kennedy’s Good Girl Complex, I think you’ll enjoy Bad Girl Reputation even more. Genevieve West left town months ago after several events led her to pursue a change of scenery and change of lifestyle. But a family funeral brings her back to town where she’s forced to deal with her past and revisit the place she thought she’d never return, including her ex-childhood boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Brought up in the first Avalon Bay book, Gen and Evan’s relationship was always fiery and with no closure with Genevieve’s skipping town, there are lots of questions Evan has for his ex, including whether they can resume their relationship. A second chance romance, the chemistry between Evan and Gen has never dimmed, but Gen doesn’t know if Evan will suck her back into her old wild-girl ways and she’s not sure that he has changed enough to make her want to see him again.
Elle Kennedy always gives good steam and Gen and Evan definitely have it. It was nice seeing the changes Evan goes through and I especially loved his relationship with Riley. There were moments when I doubted if these tow mmm would could make a romantic relationship work, but all I can say is trust the narrative. One of the important story lines involves the reason Gen left, (CW sexual assault, verbal abuse, alcohol and drug use) and Deputy Randall is a character you love to hate and hope to see get what he deserves. His scenes made me cringe, but are crucial to understanding Genevieve and her past troubles. I’m not sure if Kennedy has another book planned for this series, but I definitely think she has a great set up for other characters in Avalon Bay. This was a solid read, that could be picked up at any time and I enjoyed the storytelling. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Very quick, cozy read that is perfect as we make the transition from summer into fall. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of second chance romances unless they’re done right. In this case, I felt that the ongoing “off again, on again” aspect of the romance was very lacking. In fact, I felt frustrated by how they kept stringing one another one.

Despite this frustrating aspect, I did enjoy how quick of a read it is. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for a review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4732980697

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed it! I really like it, especially how everything turned out between Gen and Evan!
It is a masterpiece. Truly.

Former high school sweethearts Genevieve and Evan have always brought out the best and worst in each other. After a year apart, Gen doesn’t want to fall back into their old routines. Can Evan convince her he’s ready to be the responsible man she needs?

This followup to GOOD GIRL COMPLEX is just as intense and enjoyable. Gen is working to get her life on track, and Evan is a temptation. At first, he’s too hurt by the way she left him to understand her perspective. They have a lot of work to do on themselves and the relationship, and it’s satisfying to see them find their way back together.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

They were life-long friends and first loves, but when Genevieve returned to Avalon Bay, she was determined to shake her bad girl reputation. Being back with the love of her life in her old stomping grounds could make this goal harder to achieve.

After reading Good Girl Complex, I was excited to return to Avalon Bay, and what a trip it was! I absolutely loved Gen and Evan’s story. It had all the trademarks of an Elle Kennedy romance – snappy banter, heat, humor, and great characters, but it was Gen’s personal journey that really made this something special for me.

I am utter trash for second chance romances, and though Gen and Evan had one of the those on-again/off again relationships, I was rooting for them. The stakes were high this time. Gen was determined to continue growing, changing for the better, and moving forward with her life. She spent a year away from the bay working on herself and was not going to backslide for anyone, not even Evan.

I was so proud of Gen for everything she accomplished. It’s quite hard to keep believing in what you are doing when others won’t allow you to step outside the box they put you in. Being back in the Bay was also challenge because she had to deal with all the naysayers. But, Gen continued to grow and learn more about her aspirations and the things she was capable of. The best part? She was willing to take Evan with her, but he had to commit to growing and changing too. *crying*

No lie, the love between these two was immense, and they had such a strong connection to each other. I found it really touching that Gen wanted to move into adulthood with Evan. She wanted them to evolve together, to make a future together. Watching Evan rise to the level of this challenge showed his commitment to Gen and their relationship.

Overall, I adored rooting for Evan and Gen as they attempted to move their relationship to the next level. They had been such an important part of each other’s lives for so long, and it was a beautiful thing to see them evolve together. Growing up isn’t always easy, but growing together can be an amazing thing. I had a great time revisiting the Bay, and I look forward to a return trip.

I wanted to love this so much, however I felt it was lackluster. The chapters were one dimensional, the story lacked any sort of direction, and the ending was rushed and didn’t have closure.

Last year, Genevieve West suddenly left Avalon Bay, deciding to turn her life around and leave behind her bad girl reputation. But when her mother suddenly dies, Gen is forced to return to Avalon Bay and help her father's business. But in Avalon Bay, it is harder to stay away from who she was before and almost impossible to avoid Evan Hartley, her ex-boyfriend and terrible influence in her life. Evan was heartbroken when Gen left without saying goodbye and is determined to never let her go again. So both Evan and Gen start a journey of self-discovery to see if they can be together without being self-destructive. This was a fun and mindless read! I love Elle Kennedy's books, but this one was less exciting and interesting than her other books. I'm not the biggest fan of the second-chance-romance trope, so I was a little worried that I wouldn't like this one. But I really liked how Evan and Gen grew up in this book and started to work more on themselves, not only to be together but because they wanted to be proud of who they are now. I also loved the banter between the characters, especially between Evan and his mentee. I have so much fun reading all of Elle Kennedy's books, and I can't wait to read what she writes next!

TW: death of a parent, emotionally distant parent, alcohol use/abuse, and others I may have missed.

Actual - 2.75

Evan and Genevieve were childhood best friends and an on-and-off couple their highschool and early adult years. They were both wild at heart whose bad influence on each other caused them to get into lots of trouble - or fun, depending who you ask.

After a very low moment gives Gen a wake up call, she packs up and leaves her family, town, and Evan, without blinking an eye or a goodbye. When her mom dies and she comes back into town as a newly reformed bad girl, she has to face her past and reputation, all while trying to not refall in love with her old friend.

Evan was just going through the motions, he didn’t have any goals or aspirations and it was only faced with the possibility of losing Gen forever, did he look for things to bide his time.

Gen’s closed off personality and stringing Harrison along just to a) make Evan jealius, and b) hope he becomes something more to her because that’s what a normal person should want, was unfair both to him and herself.

She keeps this love triangle going on for the majority of the book but tells us - the reader - very early on she’s only doing it so it will make her keep that distance from Evan.

Cooper and Mac were meh in book 1, and Cooper was almost intolerable here for me.

I did like this better than Good Girl Complex, but I’m starting to think that maybe Elle Kennedy just isn’t for me anymore. The way she has been writing her characters just come across as unlikeable.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc, I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Steam: 2/5 chilis
Pub date: 10/4

Good Girl Complex was five stars for me and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this sequel! With all the incredible Elle Kennedy snark, chemistry and spice that I’ve come to know and love, this book did not disappoint.

We’re back in Avalon Bay with its picturesque beach town setting, only this time we are following Evan, Cooper’s twin brother, and Genevieve, his ex-girlfriend and childhood best friend. Genevieve is back in Avalon Bay for her mother’s funeral after her abrupt departure a year before. We learned in the first book that Gen’s vanishing act left Evan heartbroken and he never got over her. Gen’s father convinces her to stay to help out with the family business and she reluctantly agrees, hoping that she won’t run into Evan. Reckless behavior made their relationship toxic, and no matter how in love they were, Gen knew that leaving Avalon Bay was the only way she could get her act together and break out of the cycle they were stuck in. She’s worked hard to fix up her bad girl reputation, but can she convince Evan to do the same so they can be together?

I really liked this second chance, small town, dual POV romance. It’s full of life lessons, delicious steam and enough of a slow burn, will-they-won’t-they to make the stakes high enough for the HEA to feel like it was earned. Evan and Genevieve have a strong emotional connection and their flashbacks to before the breakup were some of my favorite moments. All the fun side characters are back, with a few new additions, and I was reading very carefully to try and figure out who the third book is going to be about.

I love Evan. I think he’s funny and genuine and his attempts to change his ways to get Gen back are both endearing and hilarious. I liked him a lot more than Cooper and his POV was my favorite in the story.

I kind of wanted to shake Gen, honestly. I really didn't like her at first, and while she did eventually grow on me, it took a while. I understand that she hit rock bottom and needed to find a way to shed her old image, but she did it in a destructive way that made it seem like she didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings. I finally started to like her at about 70%, but she’s the reason this wasn’t a five star read for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book about second chances and trying to become a better version of yourself. I love Elle Kennedy, I love these characters (mostly) and I can’t wait for book three! Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Elle Kennedy for the advanced copy of this book! Bad Girl Reputation hits shelves on 10/4.

I enjoyed this one so much! A perfect second chance romance, set in a beach community.
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After parting ways for reasons Evan doesn’t understand his ex Gen is back. Both enjoyed partying, and acting wild…until they realize they didn’t want that anymore. And this was the part of the story I loved. Watching them both find the best versions of themselves. When Evan states he’s going court Gen and woo her I was all for it.
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This is the second in the series and I liked this one even more than the first, which I also enjoyed. Evan is a trip and has me laughing out loud a bunch of times.
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I can’t wait to find out whose story is coming next. This is not a hockey romance like the Briar U series but it is equally as well done, and Evan really is incredible (as is Gen). I love a romance that gives me all the feels and this one delivered. The hugest of thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress @smpromance for the e-ARC

This is a good read. At first, I was not so into it, but it picks up and I like it. I would like to read more of this author. I enjoy the book and will like to see more store of everyone who was in the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

“At the moment, shedding my bad girl reputation, I guess.”-Bad Girl Reputation, Elle Kennedy

Elle Kennedy’s Avalon Bay series begins with Bad Girl Reputation’s predecessor, Good Girl Complex. The highly addictive and engaging series follows various couples who hail from dreamy beach town, Avalon Bay. Bad Girl Reputation continues in the realm of Avalon Bay but from the dual point of views of messy on-and-off-again couple, Genevieve West and Evan Hartley. Evan is the smoldering twin brother to tattoo covered bad boy, Cooper. The first book follows Cooper and his typical ‘goody-two-shoes’ girlfriend, Mackenzie. This follow-up story veers off, focusing on Evan who pines for Genevieve deeply following her departure from Avalon Bay. Genevieve’s return flusters Evan who desires a stable relationship with her, but she does not believe they are good for each other.
Personally, for me reading this series thus far has been such a necessary genre disruption from the heavier and darker reads I typically gravitate towards. Bad Girl Reputation, although baring its fair share of drama, complications, and entertainment value, is fluffy and fun for readers. It was such a treat reading this novel and getting a feel for Kennedy’s voice in her writing style. Kennedy holds an extremely addictive quality to her story writing and characterization. I read this book completely in one sitting with ease and I couldn’t put it down. The town’s setting really did give me a summery feel, so I do wish I had stumbled upon it then, but none the less I still enjoyed it greatly.
I felt like these characters were not only believable, but also very lovable for readers. Their chemistry within the romance was very evident. I enjoyed witnessing the character development throughout the story’s progression. I felt that these characters both made great strides to better themselves as individuals in this book, which I really respected. At the start of the book, they were very toxic and overall messy with Genevieve’s continuous lack of commitment and Evan’s stubbornness and brutal determination. Many of their issues were repetitive and it felt as if they were always having the same fight, going in circles each time. Evan was always getting into fist fights, getting drunk, and causing trouble, while newly reformed good girl Genevieve wanted to steer clear of his over-the-top antics. I feel that if they possessed better communication skills the majority of their problems could be easily solved. At times I was so frustrated reading another variation of a fight they had already had so many times before.
I did love that the author decided to depict Genevieve’s sobriety journey from drinking alongside her healing process. It was great to see representation for this struggle, as well as the support of Evan through it too.
At times I did feel that characters from the first book kind of blended together with the ones in this one. Mackenzie and Genevieve were a bit similar in my opinion, but I definitely liked both of them. In my personal opinion I did like Cooper and Mackenzie’s relationship slightly better from the first book than Evan and Genevieve’s. Overall, none of my minor complaints about the relationships in the book negate the fact that I truly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anybody looking for a drama-packed small-town romance filled to the brim with banter. Pick this book up once it hits the shelves to enter the world of Avalon Bay for yourself!

A companion novel to Good Girl Complex and the second book in the Avalon Bay series, Bad Girl Reputation follows the story of Genevieve, the party girl who up and left her hometown without a word, and Evan, her bad boy situationship she left high and dry. When Gen finds herself back in town for longer than expected, she and Evan easily fall into their same rhythm, until she puts her foot down and insists it’s time they both grow up.

To be honest, this book didn’t quite click for me until about halfway through, when Evan finally begins to grasp that Gen really does want to change and really starts putting effort into both investing in himself, his community, his family, and his relationship with Gen. From there, this becomes a true story of character growth, for both Gen and Evan. Bad Girl Reputation is a very realistic second-chance romance – complete with small-town grudges, family fights, and friend group drama – that will have you laughing and sighing along the way.

✨A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review and advance copy pf Bad Girl Reputation! It’s out on October 4th.✨

🌟: 3.5
🌶: 2

This was my favorite of Elle Kennedy so far. Fun, witty, swoony, it had a little bit of everything you want in a rom-com.

I can’t believe I picked this up after reading Good Girl Complex. But, to my surprise, this one was better! Still not good, mind you, but I could get through it.

I haven’t read any other Elle Kennedy books, but these two books feel so weirdly dated and toxic, and I feel like I was frowning for 50% of this. I can’t think of anyone I’d recommend this to…

2.5⭐️

(2.5/5) DNF @ 40%. This book had promise (Gen moves home after a year away improving herself and reignites an old flame, Evan). Normally, I like second chance romances but this one just seemed toxic. The whole environment seemed toxic for Gen, honestly. She moves away and gets sober only to go out with her friends when she moves home and they tease her about it? And don’t even get me started on Evan. He “just can’t say no” to Gen, except the multiple times that she asks him to leave her alone. Their whole past relationship (making the other jealous, on again/off again, rebellious thing) just seems unhealthy. You know it’s bad when I was like “why don’t you give [bland love interest that Gen takes on a date to make Evan jealous] a chance”? 🥲 Maybe it’s that the characters were in their early 20s and just weren’t mature, but I found it hard to connect with them and because of that I couldn’t keep reading.

If you like second chance romances in a small beach town in the Carolinas with a lil bit of toxicity thrown in, this book might be for you.