This story was about a young woman, Genevieve, who gets called back to her hometown for her mothers funeral, and stays to help her father with the family business. The reader immediately meets her ex boyfriend Evan at the funeral and it is quickly established that their relationship was hot and cold, off and on, and a bit toxic. They partied hard, lived fast, and often got into trouble. When Gen moved she sought to reinvent herself and shed her Bad Girl reputation.
Being back in town, she and Evan feel the sparks immediately but Gen puts her foot down, insisting that things had to be different. If he wanted her back then he would have to grow up and get serious.
This story was a quick, easy read for me, but I didn’t quite connect with the characters how I’d hoped to. I was never truly convinced that Evan was as “bad boy” as the writer claimed him to be. Possibly because during his POV we only heard how much he loved Gen and wanted to be with her.
The side issues gave the story a bit more depth, and in the end Gen did grow and mature, officially shedding her bad girl reputation.
This story of navigating true love through the stages from childhood to adulthood would be impactful for young adults or new adults the most.
Overall, a sweet story. The angst just didn’t make it there for me.
I felt like I was intended to have one impression of the characters and instead I recognized the good they both carried under their surfaces.
Fave parts involved Evan and his Big Brother volunteering. I am also hoping Alana gets her own story!

Second chance at love, childhood best friends tropes.

I love @ellekennedy33 books so I was thrilled to read an eArc of Bad Reputation. Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for early access in exchange for my honest review.

✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Small Town
✔️ Family Drama

I enjoyed book 1 (Good Girl Complex) and I liked this one slightly more. The second chance emotional setup worked well for me - how one character (Evan) was like "Let's pick up where we left off" and the other (Gen) was like "We absolutely cannot pick up where we left off" and both are baffled at how the other feels the opposite. 🤣 - deliciously fun.

I loved both characters and their journey together. I laughed at Evan's attempts at trying to be a changed man for Gen. This is one of Elle's character superpowers - creating a cutie dumb-dumb who earnestly tries to woo and does a hilariously terrible job but it's so endearing (see John Logan from The Mistake and Blake Riley from Good Boy).

Steamy and funny and there were good stakes so the journey to the HEA felt earned. I'm only mad I gave Good Girl Complex 5⭐️ because I did like this one better but the scale is what it is. 5⭐️ for this one too. It publishes next month (Oct 4th!)

Steam 🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣
Swoon 💕💕💕💕

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced ecopy of this book!!
Bad Girl Reputation is the second installment in Elle Kennedy’s Avalon Bay series. While Good Girl Complex follows Cooper and Mac, this book follows Cooper’s twin, Evan, and Genevieve. I loved this book SO much more than I expected! These two have so much history and chemistry and I am a sucker for any complex decade long love story. They are the blueprint for childhood best friends to lovers and second chance romance! I really enjoyed the plot in this one and feel as though readers get to really watch the twists and turns of character development as opposed to simply being told that it happens. It was also fun to see glimpses of Mac and Cooper’s relationship throughout this story as well. If there is another installment of this series in the future, I will definitely read it!!

Genevieve returns home for her mother's funeral with the hope that she can get out of town again before running into her ex-boyfriend Evan. They had a powerful but messy relationship. She works hard to stay on solid ground during her visit but Evan is willing to do anything to get her back. This was a very fun second-chance romance. I really enjoyed the character development of both Genevieve and Evan so their reconnection made sense by the end of the book. I did not realize that this story exists in the same universe as Kennedy's other book Good Girl Complex. I did not read the first book and I don't think that impacted my enjoyment of the story but now I will go back and read it to get more from these characters.

Thank you to Elle Kennedy, St. Martin Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in the beach town Avalon Bay series. While the first book, Good Girl Complex, was about Cooper and Mac, this time it's Gen and Evan's story, Evan being the twin brother of hottie bad boy Coop and Gen being Evan's on and off love who suddenly left Avalon Bay without an explanation. While this book started off really strong, I felt the plot kind of fell through in the middle and it got a bit boring. There's only so much growing up two kids in their early 20s can do in a matter of months. I would have liked to know more about Gen's life before she returned to Avalon Bay. However, if possible, the steam was even hotter than in the first book (and that one had a lot of steam).

Read this if you like:
- Second chance romance
- Dual POV
- Childhood sweethearts
- Reformed bad girl (and boy)
- Character growth

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review

In Bad Girl Reputation we return to Avalon Bay for Evan and Gen’s story and let me tell you it did not disappoint!

Evan and Gen have undeniable chemistry and can’t seem to stay away from one another. This second chance romance is all about becoming a better version of yourself, forgiveness and a little steam thrown in for good measure.

If you’re looking for a quick and relaxing low angers second chance romance - this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy is the second book in the Avalon Bay Series.

This second chance contemporary romance is written in dual POV and is full of messy characters.

Following the death of her mother, Gen returns to her small town to attend the funeral and stays to help her father. Enter her ex, Evan who will do whatever it takes to get her back.

I personally found this one heavier then the typical romance novels that I usually read...so if you are looking for all sunshine and butterflies this shouldn't be your first pick...but a good novel nonetheless.

the second in the avalon bay series proves to be a much more fun and interesting read. compared to the first in the series, characters this time around were more likable and relatable.

genevieve and evan were sweet and fun characters to follow and being able to read a childhood best friends to lovers was just my favorite! their chaotic past and need to grow up was evident and kennedy was even able to write them as they grew. their development in this book as so much more pleasing than the first in the series. both gen and evan proved they were capable of change as well as able to understand who they are to one another.

the other issues they dealt with in this book also surprised me. in other books, you have issues and there are little to no resolve but i found that kennedy was able to find resolution for both characters in ways that didn’t feel forced or thrown away.

the writing was so fun (i love good dialogue/banter) and pacing was perfection. it was consistent with the plot and who the characters were. the whole book was addicting and i read basically in one sitting! i actually really enjoyed this one and will be buying my own copy once it’s published!

thank you netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in return for an honest review!

This was my first book by Elle Kennedy. I did not read the first book in this series but I feel like this book explained the gist of it so I was never lost. This story about two kids that have dated all through High School and developed some toxic behavior in the process. Fast forward a year after a death brings Gen back to town where she will inevitably run into Evan. I wasn't a fan of these characters at the beginning of the story but the author had a way of developing the best character arc's and I ended up enjoying the book. The side characters really add to the story. The plot was well developed and it had a good ending.

This book was outstanding. It tied together good girl complex and really told the story of Evan and Genevieve.

Bad Girl Reputation is a fantastic second chance romance. This is Evan's book. You met his twin brother in Good Girl Complex and now it's his turn to find his love again. Evan and Genevieve have always had a turbulent relationship. They loved hard but weren't always good for each other. Genevieve goes through a lot of growth when she realizes just how toxic her life choices have been. There are a lot of healing and realizations in this one that will just own you a little bit. Evan and Genevieve are amazing together even through all the ups and downs. I loved this one and could not put it down. You need to meet Evan and Genevieve and see what this love is all about.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s press for the ARC of this book! I was so excited for this one and Elle Kennedy delivered once again. This is book #2 in her Avalon Bay series and I was skeptical about liking this one as much as the first book, but it definitely lived up to its hype! The story follows Genevieve and Evan, exes on the path of a second-chance romance (if Genevieve gives in to Evan’s persistence). Additionally, it circles the themes of forgiveness, healing, and love. Kennedy’s books are notorious for being light-hearted, feel-good romances with a lot of warm fluffy feelings and easiness about reading them. I loved that Kennedy brings back main characters from her other books in a series, so reading about Mac and Cooper again was a plus with this book! If you’re in the market for a new read, definitely give this one a shot!

Rounding 3.5 stars to 4 - I like many of Elle Kennedy's other books, and really enjoyed the first in this series, but this one didn't quite hit in the same way - Evan & Gen have chemistry, and I did think the level of spice was appropriate, but sometimes it felt like we got lost in plot things/carrying on the series rather than focusing in on their relationship.

Bad Girl Reputation
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My review of Bad Girl Reputation will be posted to my Instagram @chronicledbycait on Tuesday, September 20th 📚

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of Bad Girl Reputation in exchange for an honest review!

This is my second book I’ve read by Elle Kennedy and I’m hooked!

I read Good Girl Complex and while this is the second book in the series, I think Bad Girl Reputation can be read as a stand-alone!

One year ago, Genevieve took off without a word to anyone, least of all to Evan - the boy she’s been off and on with since middle school.

When her mom died, Gen comes home and is forced to face the reason she left and more importantly she’s faced with Evan and all the questions she’s not sure she has answers to.

But they can’t ignore the pull that keeps bringing them together. Falling into their old toxic traits, Gen tells Evan that she’s changed. Evan realizes that if he wants her, he’s going to have to change too.

This story is the perfect example of how it’s important to grow individually AND as a couple.

A little spicy, and a lot sweet, this second-chances story had me smiling on numerous occasions and heavily invested in their story.

Bad Girl Reputation comes out October 4, 2022 and you’re not going to want to miss it! Preorder today!

I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series and was hoping the next would focus on Evan. You can definitely read each of these as a stand-alone, but you will miss backstory if you read this one first.

I enjoyed getting both Genevieve and Evan’s points of view, you could see the internal struggles within them both regarding the same situations. It helped that I adored both of them the whole book and was rooting for each of them separately and hopefully together.

The way family dynamics were brought in, added so much to the story. Not only were you getting a spicy romance you were getting family issues, past behavior consequences, and overall just a good story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶
If you've read Elle Kennedy's Off Campus series and expect the same style, this is not it. The second installment for the Avalon Bay series focuses on character development, so much so I feel as if we lose track of Evan and Gen's love story. A solid read that has you invested until the very end, sadly to only let you down.

I loved Evan & Genevieve! I absolutely fell in love with these two. They have a rocky past, an unsteady present, and an unknown future. They both are toting around tons of baggage, but their pull to each other can't be ignored. I love this story because it shows how people and relationships can grow in the positive. Evan and Gen can't keep away from each other even though they both need to work on themselves. They have a steamy connection not only in the bedroom, but in each others hears. I enjoyed them so much and I hope maybe at some point to get some more of their story.
#BlowPop #Fred

Another great new adult romance from Elle Kennedy. I love second chance romances, and this delivered. Gen and Evan have been on-again, off-again for years, before Gen moves away in part to break this cycle and help her and Evan move on with their lives. When her mother passes away, Gen finds herself back in town and right back in Evan's orbit. The best part of this book was watching Gen and Evan mature and grow up over the course of the story - realizing you have to make some changes but can still hold on to who you are at the core of yourself is very relatable. I'll be anxiously waiting to see if we get more stories in this series!

Bad Girl Reputation is a second chance romance full of angst and a long history of bad decisions. It's the second book in the Avalon Bay series, and follows the other Hartley twin, Evan, and his high school girlfriend Genevieve.

I really liked the chapters bouncing between dual POV's. Evan and Genevieve obviously are still in love with each other, but the push pull of their past mistakes are clouding their present judgements as they both attempt to reform their wild child ways.

This was a quick and steamy new adult read, with messy and complicated characters who are just trying to find out where they belong in life and love.

4.5 stars from one of my favorite authors!

DNF at 13%. I just can't get into it. The chemistry between Gen and Evan is palpable and genuine, but so far that's the only thing I like. Not a fan of Evan's POV or the general pessimistic/negative tone, and I'm not attached to the story. I feel too old to read about young college kids 🙃

I might try this again in the future, but for now I have to pass on it.