I was a little hesitant with this arc because I wasn’t wild about the first book in the series, Good Girl Complex. But I was pleased surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.

In book #1 we meet Evan and he’s not great. He’s out partying every night and super rude to Mac and Cooper. But in this one we learn more about him and why he’s been acting that way.

Enter Genevieve. (Also super random that I read two books in a row with the heroine named that lol) Gen and Evan were on again off again low key toxic for each other for most of their adult life. When she left with no reason or word to Evan, he understandably reacted bad.

Gen just wants to be better and let go of her bad reputation. And she partly blames Evan so they can’t hang out now that she’s back. But I was a little annoyed by this because sometimes she really feels like he’s the reason for her downfall, but she’s also an adult who can make her own decisions.

I think as surprised as to how much genuinely liked Gen and Evan and rooted for them as a couple. Especially considering how toxic they were at times and especially in the past.

I’m also interested in the other members of their tight knit group. Especially whatever is going on with Alana and Wyatt and Tate…

Elle Kennedy has created a series of romance novels focusing on coming off age and becoming the person you want to be. I really enjoyed Gen and Evan's story with a little glance at the continuing story 9f Mackenzie and Cooper. Kennedy also touches on making peace with your family and your past

Genevieve West returns to Avalon Bay for her mother’s funeral. She has no plans of staying until she runs into bad boy ex-boyfriend Evan Hartley. Gen and Evan used to run wild through the town together, but Gen is ready to leave that life behind. Evan wants to convince her that they can still work, even if that means he has to leave his wild days behind too. Can Gen and Evan both shed their bad reputation and make things work? Evan is convinced they can but Gen has reservations.

This is the second novel in the Avalon Bay series and I loved it just as much as the first. I’m a sucker for second-chance romances and I really enjoyed Gen and Evan’s playful relationship. I liked that this book was about leaving behind young, immature days and learning to grow, even if that means leaving behind people who aren’t on the same page as you. I’d recommend this book if you’re in the mood for a cute, playful, second-chance romance!

Thank you so much to Elle Kennedy, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of Bad Girl Reputation.

I couldn’t get through this book at no fault of the book itself. I started to read it and on page 2 pancreatic cancer was mentioned which is a really triggering topic for me at the moment. Maybe in a few months or so I’ll be able to handle it, but at the moment even just the thought of reading more about treatments or the cancer is too much.

I really like this series! The whole small town vibe plus all the antics and the amazing friend group, it all feels very wholesome. I was super intrigued about Gen and Evan in book 1 and I really liked their book. Yes, their relationship is toxic. They do immature things but it gets better, So if you have an aversion for toxic relationships do not read this book.

Gen is back and not for long but of course, that's more than enough to meet Evan, who she left behind without a word. Not gonna lie, when I realised this, I hated her. She pushed him away for very selfish reasons and didn't bother about how that would affect him. Let me tell you, there's nothing cute about their relationship. It's mostly physical chemistry and non stop fighting. There's a lot of push and pull.

What I did like about them? Gen accepts that she made a mistake and puts EFFORT into their relationship. Ethan takes time and is determined to make things work. So, overall it was a good read. I'm excited for the next one, I have a feeling there's gonna be a lot of angst!

This was my first book I've read by Elle Kennedy and I really enjoyed it! If you're looking for a quick read I would recommend this book!

This book is all about second chances with lots of romance. I really enjoyed how the characters develop and evolve throughout the book. They were extremely immature at points but I liked how Kennedy showed the slow evolution of Gen and Evan together as a couple and individually.

Overall I give this book 4/5 stars. At times I couldn't get past the immaturity of Evan and Gen's relationship, but I really enjoyed the book otherwise!

Thank you St. Martins press for the ARC of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ chapter 16.

Evan & Genevieve. The push and pull. I was looking forward to Evan’s story but this one wasn’t working out for me. I think long time fans of Elle Kennedy will love this one!

Things and stuff
-childhood crush
-second chance romance
-insta love
-small beach town
-dual pov
-blow pops
-open door

Thank you SMP for an advanced copy.

I am a huge Elle Kennedy fan and loved her Off Campus and Brier U series, as well as book one of this Avalon Bay series, Good Girl Complex. While I also enjoyed Bad Girl Reputation, it is not my favorite of hers.

Let’s start her with what I loved about this book. I have such a soft spot for small town settings and I love the world Kennedy has created here in Avalon Bay. The supporting characters are a lot of fun and add so much to the overall story. She also does a great job at developing her characters, and you can easily envision them existing off the page as well as on.

Now to the negative. This book relies heavily on my least favorite trope, miscommunication, to propel the story forth both in the past, before we existed in this world with them, and then in the present as they navigate being in one another’s lives again. This left me feeling frustrated with the characters and their lack of mature communication for most of the story.

I listened to this one on audio and while I loved the narration for Good Girl Complex, the narrators of Bad Girl Reputation, along with the echoing quality present in NetGalley’s ALCs, detracted a bit from my overall impression. I would recommend reading the physical or ebook over the audiobook.

While this one fell a bit flat for me, I am really enjoying this series as a whole and hope she continues on with it.

Read if you like:
• second chance love
• redemption trope
• small town setting
• open door romance

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this e-ARC!

Another great add to this series! I’ve always enjoyed Elle Kennedy’s books. The perfect amount of steam and drama. Good story of growth and second chances.

In the second installment of the Avalon Bay series, Cooper's brother Evan is looking to reunite with his long-time love, Genevieve when she returns for her mother's funeral. The chemistry between them was self-destructive when they were younger. Now Gen is looking to be a better person and not the 'bad girl' she once was, since she still feels guilt over the reason she left.

Their relationship is toxic, so it's hard to tell if their love is real or just infatuation. This is a great summer beach read if you're looking for a book with a lot of relationship drama. I can recognize myself in these immature characters when I was younger... you don't always do the rational thing. The small town police deputies were really frustrating, and just added to the drama.

𝔹𝕒𝕕 𝔾𝕚𝕣𝕝 ℝ𝕖𝕡𝕦𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟
𝔹𝕪 𝔼𝕝𝕝𝕖 𝕂𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕕𝕪

𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨
This is a YA novel. Not sure if it is advertised that way cause Y'all know I judge books by its cover 😆.

The characters seemed to be in their early 20s. It mentioned that they were together from when they were in school. That helps explain the banter back and forth between Gen, Evan, Conner & Mac.

This is a good book to open, read, turn off your brain and be entertained. It is a very cute first love story. This is the second book in a series but you don't need to read the first one to understand.   That is a big bonus!

I haven't done this part of a review in forever!
Read this book if:
🎊 you like YA novels
🎊 you like the banter between young couples
🎊 the innocent sweet tokens of appreciation of first love makes you happy.

If you liked YA novels I think you'll love this one!

I think I'll put it in the BARGAIN or BORROW category. on the scale of Buy, Bargain, Borrow, Bud or Bust.
(Feel free to use the scale to rate your reviews just please give me credit)

Watching Gen and Evan struggle to find who they were in a proper adult relationship was interesting. However, it was clear just how young these two were. This is definitely what I would classify as a New Adult selection and, at 36, it was somewhat painful to read.

Former bad girl Genevieve West goes home for her mother's funeral, where she runs into her former boyfriend Evan. She plans on helping her dad run his business and has no plans to repeat history with Evan. However, Evan has plans to convince her to give them a second chance. The characters are a mess and immature at first, but throughout the book, they do get better. Overall it was a great light read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

I received the ARC from NetGalley and am grateful for the opportunity to review before its release in October!

3.5 stars! 3 peppers!

Bad Girl Reputation is the second novel in the Avalon Bay series. I admittedly didn't read the first book, but after experiencing Cooper in this story, I don't think i want to.

While second chance romances are not always my favorite, I did like the setup of this one. Gen doesn't leave Evan because she doesn't love him, she has a large internal conflict with her own behavior and needs to sort herself out without him. To me, that's incredibly relatable for a lot of people.

I appreciate the spice in this book, but I was really looking for more substance of character development and personal growth for Evan & Gen. It was constantly stated that they were trying to change or felt like they were bad for each other, when we didn't really get to see a lot of that actually taking place. it was great to see Evan's relationship with volunteering and I get that Gen had a 9-5, but that's not giving much as far as them changing internally.

Overall, I liked Elle's writing style, but some of the phrases and character behavior felt a little old-shchool to me & I couldn't help but notice all of the toxicity in the relationships (both romantic and platonic). It's an easy read if you're not looking to get overly invested in any of the characters and are expecting a low-level drama. It was Outer Banks without anyone actually getting shot or dying.

This was a little bit of a miss for me.  It could very well be a "me" thing rather than the book.   I alternated from listening on audio to reading on my kindle and I preferred the kindle.  The narration of Evan seemed very rigid and aggressive.  His personality is strong in general and Gen wasn't very likeable either.  Their relationship was solely based on a physical chemistry which made it hard to root for them.  It seemed to be unhealthy in a lot of ways.

Maybe Elle Kennedy books aren't for me anymore, cause they aren't hitting like they used to. I struggled to find Gen and Evan's relationship to be believable, they just didn't make a good couple in my opinion. The physical chemistry was off the chart between them, but that's about it. They did not bring the best out in each other, and I didn't feel like there was much growth in their characters.

I did not fall in love with this book as much as I did the first book in the Avalon Bay series. I did like the characters and the chemistry between the two main characters but something about it did not grab my attention as much as an Elle Kennedy book usually does. It just took me longer to get through it then books usually do. Evan and Genevieve did have some crazy chemistry so it was nice to read about them and how they have always had this "thing" together. It was nice to know more about Avalon Bay and all of the side characters. I recommend this series but for me it would not be a book I would read again.

I adore childhood friends/dating second chance romances and this was a thoroughly enjoyable one. Genevieve and Evan were wild and carefree in their childhood and teen years, getting themselves into (and out of) all sorts of trouble. The story picks up with Genevieve returning to her hometown after a year away. These characters have insane chemistry from the very first chapter. Kennedy's writing is filled with tension and the characters have such great depth. Loved this story!

Elle does it again! I think this is one of my favorites from her by far! I enjoy the chemistry between them and they make my heart melt.

The story is full of angst and requires patience as Gen and Evan try to figure out what they are and can still be to each other. To make things easier, Gen has placed Evan on the side of things and people she needs to remove from her life–bad influences that may lead her back to someone she no longer wants to be. She is set on shedding her old image. Evan, on the other hand, wants things to go back to the way they were. This “better” version of Gen only seems to think she’s better than him. Threatened by her changes, Evan is a jerk in the beginning until he realizes that if he wants to be with the woman he loves, he’ll have to make changes as well.

I understood Gen’s concerns and sympathized with her need to stay away from Evan. Their past was a volatile one, and Evan is still the same person he used to be. It can be difficult to make changes when someone as important as Evan is to Gen refuses to accept them. I appreciated the focus on individuals trying to become better versions of themselves, but I liked the emphasis on the fact that change does not necessarily mean everything has to be completely thrown away. While Gen incites changes in Evan, he reminds her that some things are worthwhile enough to keep.

I enjoyed the book, even if I thought Evan’s change in attitude was sudden. I guess that is what happens when you recognize it’s possible to lose those you love. A lot goes on in the book, but it never strays too far away from Evan and Gen trying to figure out what they can be moving forward. Fans of new adult novels and small town romances will enjoy the book, especially if second chance romances are a favorite trope.