I used to realy enjoy Elle Kennedy´s books. But with this one I had some trouble. The characters were really flat, the plot was nothing special and I didnt see much developement and growth from either Gen nor Evan. The idea of the book was great but in my eyes not very well done. 2.5 stars

"water and sunlight works wonders on plants, so why not us?"

thank you netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ahead of its release!
i read Good Girl Complex earlier this year and really enjoyed it, and was stoked to see there was another story coming about Evan and Gen!! we got sprinkles of them during Mac & Cooper's story and i was so excited because I loooooove second-chance romances and just knew they were going to be good - and they totally were!

about a third of the way through, however, i was getting kind of annoyed with the back and forth between the two. i understood by the end, i guess, why but was waiting for a final decision to come much sooner than it did. but it dealt with grief, family dynamics and overcoming past reputations/childhoods so well - Gen's growth was absolutely amazing and her journey from Avalon Bay's resident party girl to who she became while navigating her family was my favorite part.

am i crazy to hope there's another book and it's about Alana, Tate & Wyatt???? 👀 miss Elle Kennedy i'm looking at you sis

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored this book! I found Good Girl Complex to be a solid read and enjoyed it for the most part, but I didn’t love it. However, I knew I wanted to read the sequel regardless because I was intrigued by Evan and Gen’s story. Elle Kennedy did not disappoint! This was not only a romance, but a story of second chances, self-discovery, forgiveness, and family. I loved Gen because she felt so relatable. At times I was so frustrated with her, but I also could completely understand where she was coming from. At the end of the day, Gen was a girl who just wanted to do better for herself, but couldn’t quite figure out the right steps until she made a drastic change. One of my favorite scenes is the car scene with her dad when he acknowledges just how much progress she has made, because at the end of the day that is really all Gen needs: for her hard work to be noticed. Evan Hartley is my favorite of the Hartley twins. He is the rough and jagged bad boy on the outside with the heart of gold and gooey center. His love for Gen is boundless. Watching him better himself, because he couldn’t stay the same and be good for her was top tier book boyfriend. Also, I loved his relationship with Riley. I also loved that we got the beginning of a resolution with Coop and Evan’s mom. Overall, this book surpassed Good Girl Complex as the best in the Avalon Bay Series and I wouldn’t be upset if Elle Kennedy wanted to return to the Bay with another novel in the future (I mean, who doesn’t want a book diving into the Alana/Wyatt/Tate drama?! Lol)

Elle Kennedy can do no wrong. I absolutely loved this one especially because its pretty much the complete opposite of what happened in the previous book. I loved the idea of a former toxic couple coming together and working past that toxicity.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to St. Martins Press for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
So, it was so exciting to see I was accepted to review this book, as "The Deal", by the same author, was a book I absolutely devoured.
Unfortunately, the same didn't happen with this one. It took me over a month to get through it and it wasn't an enjoyable experience.
I realize that the author intended to give depth to the characters, but I just didn't feel their dimension and didn't feel for them. Also, the plot was just too sex-driven, which isn't always a bad thing, but to me, in this case, it was.
Don't waste your time with this one and go read her off-campus series instead.

Genevieve & Evan are every bit a toxic relationship. They grew up together, and as teenagers were constantly breaking up only to make up & then do it all over again. Their pull towards one another was strong! But when Gen comes back to town after a sudden departure a year ago, Evan finds himself pulled right back, & it’s Gen this time that’s hitting the breaks.

Was this a 5-star read? Not even close. Was it quick paced, entertaining, & steamy? Most definitely. Were there toxic traits that seemed to be glossed over a little too easily? Probably so. I wasn’t reading this book for a deeper substance & sometimes you just want an angsty romance to pull your head away from reality for a bit. This story definitely delivered in that aspect.

I am rating this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really, really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! This is the second in Kennedy’s Avalon Bay series, but stands alone pretty well if you haven’t read Good Girl Complex yet. I enjoyed this story more than Good Girl Complex!

Bad Girl Reputation is the story of Gen and Evan, who have a powerful, passionate relationship that is filled with adventure but also a lot of recklessness. They don’t bring out the best in each other and, in an effort to get her life together, Gen leaves without a word for over a year before returning back home when her mom dies. The book starts at the point she returns home.

Gen is just an effortlessly interesting person. She’s the only girl in her family with 5 brothers, and she embodies the Fuck Around and Find Out Society that Kennedy coins. She is struggling to stay sober in a way that isn’t sad or sick, but more about not using alcohol to fuel or define who she is as an adult.

I really enjoyed the way Kennedy writes about Avalon Bay. Coming from a small touristic beach town with a college nearby myself, it reads very authentically. Even down to the power-tripping asshole cop! I appreciated that unlike GGC, Gen worked a normal job in a normal family business that isn’t at all glamorous, doesn’t require magic or inherent talents, and doesn’t make her an instant millionaire.

The spice and the banter in general between Gen and Evan is so, so good. I love the way Kennedy shows how deep their relationship is through their conversations and humor. I smiled and laughed out loud at what I was reading between them more than once!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

📚 Bad Girl Reputation
✍ Elle Kennedy
📖 Contemporary Romance
⭐ 3/5

A huge thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Bad Girl Reputation is out 10/4.
◾
Reformed bad girl Genevieve West has spent the last year building a life for herself in Charleston- away from the people and places that tempt her dark side. When she returns to Avalon Bay, it's with the hope that she can attend her mother's funeral and skip town again without making any waves. Her ex-boyfriend Evan Hartley has no intention of letting her slip away again regardless of the measures he'll need to take to win her back.

The two have years of history and the whole town knows their passion but Genevieve doesn't want to slip into old habits and she associates Evan with every bad decision she's ever made. Together, they'll have to figure out how to separate themselves from their pasts without separating from each other.
◾
💭What I liked: Like all of Elle Kennedy's books, the characters had an unexpected amount of depth. They both had complicated relationships with their parents that played out throughout the book. What I liked most about this book though was that Evan and Genevieve were unlikely protagonists: love drunk teenagers with wild streaks that had to lose each other to find themselves. It was a story about second chances in life and love and fighting to change the perceptions of the people around you.

What I didn't: Evan and Genevieve had a unique story but I didn't connect much with their characters. This book is fantastic for readers that love bad boys and second chance romances. It was an enjoyable read but I didn't love this series as much as Off Campus (also by Kennedy).
◾
Read if you love:
*second chance romance
*small-town love stories
*bad boy characters
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See also: Love Her or Leave Her, Seven Days in June, Every Summer After (all 2nd chance romances)
◾
#badgirlreputation #ellekennedy #goodgirlcomplex #avalonbay #romancereads #bookstagram #bookreviews #contemporaryromance

This was neither good nor bad, but it was certainly pretty boring. Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes so maybe I’m being a little tough on it for that reasons but this book just really fell flat for me. Not much happened and I just didn’t care much for the little that did. I suppose it was nice to see Gen and Evan shed their bad girl/boy reputations and turn a new leaf for the better. Also, was Cooper this annoying in the first book and I just forgot? I think my favorite part was Cooper and Evan’s mom’s redemption arc. Another thing, how old are these characters? Because I think they’re like 20 but they do not come off that age at all. I think I’ve finally realized that Elle Kennedy’s books just aren’t for me.

I was expecting to love this one just as much as the Good Girl Complex, but it didn't hit the same. I thought it was going to be more interesting. It just didn't keep me invested some of it was incredibly fluffy and I didn't really connect with the self-improvement plot line. I didn't absolutely care about the romance between the two main characters. It was just fine but a lot of the plot moved very slowly and I didn't care as much about the couple as in the first one.

I expected to like it more than I actually did.

Oh, this book is bad, I couldn't even get through 5% of it before I needed to put it as a DNF. Just not a fan of Elle Kennedy's writing.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Ya Fiction
Pub Date: October 4, 2022

I was really looking forward to this book, and while it was a fun read, it left a lot to be desired. It's a solid three star book, but it was not as good as its predecessor. The relationship wasn't fully developed in the story, and much of the plot line revolved around the idea that the two MCs had been in a relationship for years. I also didn't like the ending (won't spoil it). I felt like it came out of left field and was not at all consistent with the tone or progression of the story. I also just found the whole book cringey...not Elle Kennedy's best work IMO!

Where do I begin? I fell in love with Evan in the Good Girl Complex, so of course I had to get my hands on this book!

Evan's character really grew throughout this book. You can really see him become a man and learn that growing up isn't that bad. His relationship with Riley was so freaking sweet. I loved the scenes of those two.

As for Gen, she got a bad rap in the first book. You could tell there was a lot of negativity surrounding her. When we got her POV in this book, it was like I wanted to hate her, but she went through so much trauma that I understood why she left. I couldn't help but root for her.

The story line is good, but the climax could have been stronger. Overall, it was a great read! Maybe we can even get a book about Wyatt and Tate!

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I love every book I read by Elle Kennedy & can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

Everyone knows by now (and if you don’t, you’re about to) how much I love a good angsty, tension filled romance and second chance stories. There’s just something about the buildup that happens between 2 characters who have so much history with one another that really makes a story for me. Reading this one brought me back in time and had me singing “My Boo” the whole time. (Please tell me you all know that song …)

Oohh the Hartley twins. Major heart eyes for them. I loved Evan in Good Girl Complex and was so excited to get my hands on his story. However, in the beginning until about halfway through, my eyes rolled hard at how annoying Evan was. I’m all for the possessive, bad-boy, “she’s mine” type of character, but there were times where I just wanted to tell him off. During and after his transformation and development, I ended up liking him again. I really loved Gen’s character and her commitment to her growth and maturity. She reminded me a little of myself back in the day (😏). I was looking for a little bit more in the story, but all in all, I enjoyed it. 3.5 ⭐️ (rounded to 4)

A huge thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Elle Kennedy for this e-arc. Check out Bad Girl Reputation on its pub date 10/4!

Overall it was an entertaining, light read. I enjoyed the story but was really wanting more emotional depth out of the two main characters. I also wanted to be transported to the books beach location, Avalon, NJ. I appreciate the ARC and did like the overall redemption message of the book.

🔊Song Pairing: Bad Girls - M.I.A ( 💯 Gen’s anthem)

💭What I thought would happen:

A follow up to the Good Girl Complex. Only heard of Genevieve via Avalon Bay gossip and knew I’d love her grand return

📖What actually happens:

Genevieve is back in the bay. Her mother whom she had a rocky relationship at best has died and Evan fucking Hartley has to show up to the funeral looking like sex on a stick. Gen is desperately trying to change her spots. But bad girl reps are hard to shake.

Evan has had a hole in his heart since she left. The great love of his life, how could she run away from him without a peep. He is determined to convince her that they belong together. They are better as a couple than apart.

🗯Thoughts:

Brace yourself for a spicy end of summer romance. Reading this I felt the wet salt air on my face and smelt campfire. The heat of the summer perfectly reflected the sizzle that Genevieve and Evan brought. Delish!

I really enjoyed Good Girl Complex but holy moly is Cooper an unmitigated jackass in this book. How did I tolerate him in the first 😂 he’s all grumpy with no sexiness.

Read if you enjoy:
👀second chance romance
🏖beach reads
👅heated chemistry
👮‍♂️chauvinistic drama

“He considers the question for several seconds. Then, with a look of pity that would knock other men out cold, he says, “The bad boy thing gets old.” Well, shit. It’s not every day I get dressed down by a Boy Scout.”

“She always was the best part of us. I love her. I’d rather never see her again than be the reason she hates herself.”

This was not the book I expected it to be, but it wasn’t a disappointment, not by a long shot. Evan was endearing and fucked up and unmistakably a GOOD person. Just a little lost. Which, taking into account his age and circumstances, so what? It took him a minute but he caught on.

Gen was a trip. She was trying so hard but she was so reluctant to accept her own progress. While I don’t agree with a few decisions she made, I don’t judge her; what do I know about how it is to be in life? I was so proud of her regardless.

This was a light, fun read that was the level of sexy I wish Elle Kennedy’s other books were.

MVP: Gen’s dad. Man was out here trying his absolute best.

(Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

I love Elle Kennedy — the way that she uses dual narration to tell a story is beautiful. However, this book fell flat for me. Gen is a bad girl turned good girl, who is trying to re-start her life in her home town. Evan is her bad boy ex who she left behind. There’s no denying that they have a connection… But there’s not conflict, growth, or heart pulling moments. If the emotions in the last 10% of the book could be replicated in the rest of the novel, we would be set!

Overall, it is worth the read — even just to check in on Mac and Cooper. But it’s a bit of a miss for me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4715747516

I love a good summer romance book and that’s exactly what this book captures. The spice level is perfect, but my top favorite part about the book is the tension between Genevieve and Evan. Both trying to grow up rid of their pasts and become better people for each other. I didn’t catch on until the end of the book that it was actually about forgiveness and second chances, the going back in forth was them not wanting to let go and I love that♥️