I love a second chance romance so much but this one was a bit flat for me. I keep expecting the Off Campus Series story lines and writing and that's on me. There was nothing wrong or bad about this book it just wasn't for me and that's okay! I love a Dual POV book though so points for that, it's always better than just reading from one POV and missing completely what the other person is thinking. Overall, this is a solid second book and a good series to read if you want something easy and fun!

The opening was a little off putting at first and I struggled to get into it with arriving at Gen’s moms funeral and Evan showing up and then things getting heated in the bathroom—I felt a little like I was missing something. However, as the second chance romance progressed I found myself falling in love with the characters. Definitely a very physical connection between the two but honestly? It was just nice to relax and read.

I went into this hoping that I’d enjoy it more than the first one and luckily that was actually the case. This was definitely a character driven book bc there was almost no plot or external conflict which made the book very easy to read but not very compelling. I think if there was too much going on in the first book, there was almost not enough going on in this one. I did like the female lead much much more in this one than the first one (if only because she didn’t compare being made fun of for being rich to a micro-aggression) and while the male lead was annoying at the start his character development was pretty good. I’m not sure if there will be more books in this universe, but knowing me I will end up reading them if there are.

“Bad Girl Reputation” by Elle Kennedy will be out on October 8th, 2022. I received this free ARC from NetGalley and St. Martins Press in exchange for an honest review.

I had mixed feelings about Good Girl Complex, so I was really unsure what to expect. Much like GGC, the storyline was a bit cliche but the characters really saved what this book lacked. It was nice getting to know Evan a bit better and learning about who Gen is. While their chemistry definitely was there, the "redemption" style of this novel really left much to the imagination about their relationship. I would have liked some flashbacks to fill in the blanks. There was a good, albeit sudden, redemption arc for Shelly, which seemed to tie up the final loose end and feed into the theme of redemption. I am sorry to say goodbye to Avalon Bay but happy with how the characters have settled. I only am giving it 3 stars because while it was entertaining, it was hard to get through at times, and it lacked much of the traditional romance that is characteristic of this genre and left me wanting more. I am a huge Elle Kennedy fan though and look forward to her future works.

Genevieve has come home for her mother's funeral. She left town to try to escape her bad girl image and to start to grow up and take responsibility for her actions. Genevieve felt that she needed a fresh start away from her family, friends and in particular her boyfriend Evan. Evan and her go way back and although they love each other, Genevieve thought that they were holding each other back. It looks like Genevieve is going to stick around for a couple of months to help run her father's business. Can Evan use this time to get back together with Genevieve? Can he prove to her that he can grow up too? This is a fun second chance romance which definitely made me chuckle. I love the scenes when Evan is trying to volunteer his time. Genevieve might have a Bad Girl Reputation but she is ready to tackle the future!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc of Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy.

I read Good Girl Complex on a whim went I went to the bookstore to pick up a different book. I thought the title was intriguing and the cover also drew me in. What sold me was the synopsis. After I finished Good Girl Complex I was browsing Netgalley and saw this! I quickly requested it, not thinking I would actually get approved (I need to work on my score).

In this novel we follow Genevieve West and Evan Hartley. In the first novel we followed Mackenzie Cabot and Cooper Hartely, Cooper and Evan are twins.

Genevieve returns home to Avalon Bay for her mothers funeral. She plans to leave as soon as she can but her father asks her for help with the family business for a few months. Not being able to say no to her dad she sticks around. In town is her ex-boyfriend, Evan, and as much as she tries to avoid him it is a small costal town and it's hard not to see people. Evan and Gen have a tumultuous relationship, they always seem to get into trouble together. Gen is trying to make better changes in her life and that includes not seeing Evan. They can't seem to move on though.

My Thoughts:
I like the writing style, it is easy to read, entertaining and good if you are tired. It is a good pick if you are just looking for a book to entertain you and distract you from the stress of life for a while and aren't too worried about how good the book is.
These characters are outrageous. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case it became annoying as the story progressed. In this one Gen and Evan were very toxic together. It was frustrating to watch them sometimes. Though that is part of their story together and the plot. The personal development Genevieve goes through and the positive changes she is making in her life. There is more to the story but that is the bases. Also, the growth that they go on isn't very well developed so while it says they are growing there isn't really enough proof.

Overall I wasn't blown away, but I didn't absolutely hate it. If you are looking for a great love story, this isn't it.

This book was just alright. I had higher expectations for an Elle Kennedy novel because of other series shes written, but this was not her best. I just didn't feel like the characters had any sort of emotional connection and constantly just kept talking about physically wanting each other. Also personally I found Evan's POV unbearable at times.... it was not fun being inside his head. It was a good book to just sit back and read/listen to but nothing really memorable.

A great sequel that tells of the power of second chances. This was an intoxicating tale of growth, decision-making, love, and second chances.A little slow in the beginning but it found it’s pace eventually. I do prefer Kennedy's other series to this, however, it was a fun read and would highly recommend to second chance book lovers!

Childhood friends to lovers turned exes then enemies to lovers again. The energy between Gen and Evan is palpable from the first pages of this spicy and sweet novel. Both Gen and Evan are reckoning who they were together with who they can be going forward, and the sparks are flying! Thank you to #NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for my gifted ARC!

Elle Kennedy never disappoints. As a fan of the Off Campus series, I was so excited to try this book. I started this book and absolutely loved it! I was approved for the audio arc and will be putting my full review under that one.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This may be my lowest-rated Elle Kennedy book to date, which makes me very sad. This second chance romance between Gen and Evan just did not work for me. I felt they were both very immature and yes, while they definitely had chemistry, I'm not sure I really believed their relationship was more than that. I also felt like there was some toxicity that the story did not need. While I enjoyed book 1 in this new series, I feel like this storyline just did not grab me, nor the did relationship. I think the story needed a lot more development.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was a good book, I enjoyed it.

This was a really fun book! I liked all the ups and downs. I did feel bad for poor Harrison throughout the book as it felt like she was using him. Overall I liked the small town coming home vibes and the second chance romance was done well!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. This does not influence my honest review of this book.

Rating:3.5/5 (rounded to 4)

I want to preface this review with saying that I did not read the Good Girl Complex before reading the Bad Girl Reputation. From what I understand, I was able to read this book as a stand-alone, similar to the off campus series. All the characters coexist but they all have their individual stories.

This is a childhood best friends to lovers trope which is one of my favorites! However, I think that there was a lot of toxic elements in Gen and Evan’s relationship. I appreciate that they were both trying to work on themselves throughout the book, but I personally believe that those things need to be worked on before a relationship, not during one. It builds an issue of codependency and needing each other in order to better themselves which can lead to more toxic behavior.

There’s also a lot of drama and messy relationships between characters in the book. I appreciated the character development and I lived for the angst. It was entertaining and a quick read.

This book has:
Childhood best friends to lovers
Second chance romance
Dual POV

It was cute and funny, funnier than I expected. Gen should have been a bit more upfront about her new lifestyle with Evan in the beginning but it was nice to see them both grow and improve their lives. Felt like there was more showing with Evan and telling with Gen about their growth but that’s fine cuz she did her work before the book started. I liked how she was still cool with her friends and never looked down on them when she returned and didn’t think she was better than them. It started off a little slow but it then found its rhythm and pacing. They were a pretty healthy couple at the end of the book and it happened organically so that was nice and refreshing. Nothing felt forced

Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy is a second-chance romance about a girl who moves back into her town after years away and just can't stay away from her high-school ex. I found this book leaned a bit into tropes and stereotypes a bit too hard at times, and the characters acted too young/immature for their age. This is my first Elle Kennedy book, so if you liked her other books this may be enjoyable for you--it just wasn't for me. I found the relationship to be a bit toxic and a lot of the drama felt unnecessary or avoidable. Again, if you like EK books or the first one in this series, you'll probably enjoy this one but it felt underdeveloped to me.

Genevieve and Evan have been inseparable and drawn to each other since they young. They lived and loved with reckless abandon and didn’t care about the destruction left in their wake. That is, until Genevieve up and leaves town without so much as a goodbye. Now she’s back in town and ready to shed her bad girl reputation but she knows that means staying away from Evan. Evan is not ready to let her go so easily.

•Dual POV
•character driven
•Small town setting
•Second chance romance
•A bit of spice 🔥

I actually enjoyed this plot and the characters more than the first book. The series does still feel a lot more YA than the authors Off Campus series. It was a good book but not blow my mind amazing book.

Thank you NetGalley and st. Martins press for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Girl Reputation comes out October 4th!

I tried, but this just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t stand the main characters, especially Evan. And a lot of the dialogue was just too crude.

This was a great read to simply relax and not have to think too deeply. I appreciated the characters and relationships.

The Bad Girl’s Reputation by Elle Kennedy
4.5/5⭐️
Thank you! @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this digital arc!
This book was a whole roller coaster ride but in a good way. I loved the second chance romance trope in this book and how both Evan and Gen tried to be better people not only for each other but for themselves. The back and forth between the two would have annoyed me in any other book but the way Elle Kennedy executed it in this was just perfect. I won’t lie I did shed a tear when I realized that I was almost at the end😭. The Bad Girl’s Reputation will be released on October 4,2022 and I highly recommend that you mark your calendars for that date!