4.5/5 stars
1.5/5 spice (Not closed door, 18+)

This is the 2nd book in the Avalon Bay series, so I made sure to read Good Girl Complex first…just in case. It can be read as a standalone though, similar to her Off-Campus series.

I don’t typically go for college-aged romance. Probably because I am old enough to be their mom now lol! But I enjoyed the Off-Campus series so I wanted to give this one a try. No one will compare to Garrett in The Deal, but I still enjoyed this one. It follows Genevieve and Evan, who have been on and off since high school. They connect after a year apart, and try to change their toxic behaviors to be together. They definitely made some questionable decisions along the way (who in their early 20s hasn’t?), but it ends with a HEA.

Only reason I wouldn’t give it a full 5 stars (rounding up in the rating though) is it felt rushed at the end. I would have liked to see a little more time for them to grow separately before jumping right back into a relationship. Overall, it was a cute quick read, and this would make a great beach or vacation book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this rollercoaster ride of a novel!

4/5 ⭐ OVERALL
4/5 🌶 STEAM

“Now that she’s back, I can’t ignore her. This thing between us, this pull—it won’t let me."

If you enjoy:
- Second Chance
- Drama
- Steam
- Character Driven

My favorite books tend to be character driven so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this one. First, I would like to thank Net Galley and Elle Kennedy for the ARC, it was an honor to read and love these characters before release day. Now, let me tell you why I enjoyed Bad Girl Reputation.

Bad Girl Reputation will have you wanting to throw your kindle across the room, not kidding. But, that's what makes a book good to me. I was feeling all the emotions while reading it. Gen and Evan were so relatable. Their chemistry was insane and I couldn't stop reading all the drama that was unfolding. I simply couldn't put it down.

This book takes us through the growth development of two characters, Gen and Evan. They have tons of history, good at times, but mostly bad, as in they were always partying it up and getting into trouble. Gen finds herself at rock bottom and decides enough is enough, so she's leaves without a goodbye, leaving Evan with a broken heart. A year passes by and Gen is back home to help pick up the pieces after her mother's death. She is determined to stick with her soberity while Evan is determined to win her back, but Evan hasn't changed. If Evan wants his girl back he's going to have to prove himself.

I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I did! Add it to you TBR; It releases Oct 4th.

Happy Reading 💙

I really enjoyed Good Girl Complex, so I was so honored to receive an e-arc for the sequel. I had a lot of fun reading this book. This story is about Genevieve, who is a former bad girl, who has to go back to her hometown for her mother's funeral; she hopes she doesn't have to end up running into her ex-boyfriend, Evan while being back home, but obviously, she does. I am a sucker for a second chance romance, and this book really delivered. The characters were great, and the chemistry between Genevieve and Evan was impeccable. I recommend this to anyone who loves second-chance romance novels because this one was really enjoyable and fun. This novel comes out on October 4, 2022, and I have already pre-ordered my copy.

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan, for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This book is the perfect romance to let you just turn your brain off for a bit and enjoy the ride. Elle Kennedy is a master at writing characters, I fall in love with and create such amazing arcs for them. We heard a lot about "bad girl" Genieve from the last book, so I had a certain image of her going into this one. I love how her entire journey revolves around personal growth and that growth inspires her on-again/off-again boyfriend Evan to turn his life around. They both have a history with each other and seeing them work to break bad habits was inspiring.

I think this can be read as a standalone, but I appreciated having the background knowledge of Coop/Mac's story from the last one! This was a fun summer romance to read, and Im excited for others to get the chance to discover Evan/Gen's story this fall.

This book was an enjoyable quick read - a second chance romance between two people who probably shouldn't be together but who's chemistry undoubtedly kept them from being unable to completely be over each other. Gen and Evan have always had a rocky relationship and, even though Gen has tried to move on, this bad boy just stays in her heart. The ups and downs of this story kept it interesting and, even though the character growth was slow, their progression towards being an actual couple that could be together was what kept me turning the pages. There are a lot of serious topics in this book that added depth to the story. And although I wish some of them had been flushed out a bit more, of course, I understand they weren't the main point of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the book and even though I'm not convinced that Gen and Evan are forever...but I'm good with them being "for now" and look forward to hearing more about them in future installments of this series.

Bad Girl Reputation
By: Elle Kennedy
3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐
4/5 🌶🌶🌶

* Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Elle Kennedy has been one of my top favorite author to read. Her stories always consume me, the writing style is amazing, so it was no brainer that I was going to love this book too!

Since reading the first book I was hooked on knowing what happen with Gen and Evan. Since Gen name wasn't not even suppose to me mentioned, that intrigued me to know why! But when I finally got my hands on the book and started reading it, it was missing the story line for me. The only thing the characters had in common was chemistry. As a second chance romance, which is my favorite genre, didn't give me the aspect of that. I think there was a lot of back and forth, very immature, their romance was doing more harm then good.

Gen was a wild child since she could walk. always getting in trouble, living her best life, not having a care in the world. And Evan was just along for the ride, showing Gen a good time. following her on every adventure because he couldn't get enough of her.
When Gen got up and left town after a horrible decision, she up and left Even with out a good bye too. Evan was brokenhearted. started not to to give a fuck and became more of a bad boy then before.
After a year passed by and Gen shows up back in town for her mom funeral, she trying to prove to everyone she's out grown her bad girl reputation by also dating a good boy but she can't resist the pull between her and Evan and ends up being chased by both.
Their relationship was the definition of toxic but that didn't stop Evan for falling in love with Gen all over again. Evan tried his best to show Gen that he could change and show that he can grow up and show a level of stability with having a good time and also be responsible.

Overall, there was to much going on for them to actually end up together. I saw this story going to a different ending, just because there wasn't much story for them. Their immaturity was lacking the love aspect that they had for each other. I wish this book gave me more of a get together at the end vibe and over come their mistakes together instead of failing each other to be apart


xoxo 💕

2.5 stars
Let me preface by saying I love Elle Kennedy’s Briar U and Off-Campus series. I’ve read all the books and gave them 4-5 stars.
I think Elle Kennedy writes interesting characters, engaging romances and addictive friend groups. That said, Bad Girl Reputation feels completely different than her previous books. Evan and Gen were somewhat boring leads. The plot was weak and the conclusion lackluster. The whole point of the book is that they can’t be together because they bring out the worst in each other, but we really don’t get to see their growth. At one point Evan asks Gen to give him a chance to woo her without sex. They go on one date and then give up on the no sex rule. Like what? That’s not wooing!
Because they can’t keep it in their pants, there’s no angst to keep the reader invested in the outcome, making this read a drag. It took me so much longer to finish than it should have for a summer beach romance.
In terms of side characters, there’s so many needless extra characters in the background that it can get confusing to figure out who’s who.
I think if you’re looking for a quick and easy romance, go for it!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was sooooo good! I love the beachy aesthetic. I liked Good Girl Complex and I rated it 4.5⭐️ but this one was definitely 5⭐️.

The second chance lovers mixed with the “bad girl turned girl” was the perfect combination. Evan and Gen have so much chemistry and match each other perfectly. I was hooked from the beginning and ended up reading it all in one day.

Evan Hartley is trying to figure out his place in the world. He is a HUGE simp for Gen and I love it so much. His character development within him, his mother, and with Gen was inspiring.

Genevieve West is trying to squash her catastrophic impulses, that she has had from a young age, and settle down. Her struggle to maintain sober, carry new responsibilities and deal with her past, is written so well and really inspiring. She’s strong and confident.

The back-and-forth, push-and-pull relationship between them was toxic at times but once they worked on themselves, they are able to have a much healthier relationship. The chemistry between them is undeniable. The way they can sense each other in a room full of people, the intense eye contact, being able to have a conversation without saying anything 😍.

The ending was amazing. I will never be able to look at a Blow Pop the same way.

Thank you, St. Martins Press, for the ARC <3

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for the advanced ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bad Girl Reputation is the second book in the Avalon Bay series from Elle Kennedy. The first book was Good Girl Complex. Bad Girl Reputation is set to hit shelves on October 4, 2022!

Add it to your TBR now!

Honestly, It took me a while to get into this book. I’m not sure if it was because I wasn’t a huge fan of Evan and Gen at first, or just because I’m in a reading funk. But by the end of it, I ended up really enjoying it. I started to really enjoy their relationship and their dedication to (independently) overcoming their toxic behaviors. There’s something so beautiful in a journey of self-discovery and growth. Gen grew on me a lot, as did Evan, once Riley came into the picture. I think the addition of Riley really helped Evan’s character. Another huge factor with Evan is his unwillingness to give up on people (Shelley?). He clearly has a big heart. Also, I loved the supporting cast, Gen’s dad and brothers, and of course Cooper and Mac!

If you’ve read Good Girl Complex, I highly recommend following it up with this. I liked this one much better. ❤️

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ok, I haven’t read the first book in this series so I went into this one completely blind but wow it was an enjoyable read. I loved the fact that this was childhood friends to lovers to strangers to friends to lovers again, but I could definitely see how some of the unnecessary drama that Evan and Gen brought to the table might frustrate readers. Other than that, this was definitely a solid and quick read.

This book was entertaining but anticlimactic. I kept wanting more to happen but the back and forth got boring pretty fast and Gen's big reason for leaving Avalon Bay in the first place seemed more like an excuse rather than a reason to leave. As with the first book in this series, I was left feeling unsatisfied at the end, wishing that there had been more substance to the novel.

If you're looking for a book that will pass the time and leave you relatively entertained on a summer day, pick it up. But if you're hoping that this series is as good as the Off Campus series, you'll be sorely disappointed.

WOW. Words cannot even begin to describe my love for this book. This book was everything I wanted.

This book is the Second installment in the Avalon Bay series by Elle Kennedy. This time following Evan Hartley, Coopers twin brother, with his hot-and-cold relationship with Genevieve West. Gen is the local “Bad Girl” who always seems to find herself in trouble where Evan is concerned.

She finds herself returning to Avalon Bay from Charleston after her mother passed away. At her mothers funeral, Gen and Evan have a run in and realize that their “bad” reputation isn’t as cute as it once was and it is time to either call it quits or grow up.

We get to follow these two as they take the summer to learn what it means to be “good”. Of course, with any good romance there is bound to be some drama and this book DELIVERED. Not only did I enjoy their character development, I also enjoyed the development from the previous book with Cooper and Mac, as well as other surprise characters. This book was truly a fun read, I could not put it down. I really hope this series continues.

Thank you again to Elle Kennedy, St. Martins Griffin Press, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute read! There was always something that made me interested in Evan’s story and this book did that! I enjoyed the read. It was a pretty simple and decent read! It was easy to read, very light!

This was a great, light, perfect summer read from Elle Kennedy! I love second-chance romances with lots of tension and great characters. I finished the majority of this book in just a few sittings, and it's great for readers looking for a book that's easy to get sucked into. Did I mention very fun side-characters?? Give me more books with a big family and lots of protective brothers!

The only reasons that this wasn't a 5 start read were the times when the dialogue didn't feel realistic and that I wish Elle Kennedy spent more time exploring the main characters complicated grief at her mother's passing and both the main character and the love interest's journey to become better people (read get drunk and cause chaos less, ha!) while still staying true to themselves. The parts we did get on these topics were strong and took the book to a deeper level that I appreciated.

Looking forward to seeing the splash this book makes and what Elle Kennedy does next!

Thanks to Netgalley for this copy of Bad Girl Reputation ARC in exchange for an honest review! I’ve been obsessed with Elle Kennedy since I read The Deal by her, so I was super excited to start Bad Girl Reputation. It definitely earned its 4/5 stars!
 
Bad Girl Reputation, the second book in the Avalon Bay series, focuses on Evan and Gen after these two high school sweethearts reunite… but calling them sweethearts may be a misleading statement. Their wild adventures throughout high school and beyond came to an abrupt halt when Gen left town. Now that she’s back and trying to fix her bad girl reputation, both her and Evan have to reevaluate their relationship as adults.
 
The growth of the two characters as the book goes on was really interesting to see and I would love a novella on all their adventures in high school and after. However, seeing them as adults and having to adjust their relationship as they’ve grown up (and seeing if that’s even possible) was really great to read about. People change, and the underlying theme of the book is about growing apart but also growing together. Another great read by Elle Kennedy and I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series!

Elle Kennedy is back with her next installment of the Avalon Bay series, BAD GIRL REPUTATION. If there is one thing I am completely die-hard for, it is second chance romance. Genevieve and Evan's story was so explosive and passionate that I truly could not swipe the pages fast enough. Elle Kennedy always gives a super-to read, steamy and fantastic novel--and BAD GIRL REPUTATION was no different. I will always read whatever Kennedy writes and cannot wait for whatever she does next!

Bad Gril Reputation is a great follow up to Good Girl Complex. It took a few chapters to get going, but once I was hooked I finished the book within a day. It was great to catch up with the Hartley twins, and I’m excited to see who in town the next book will be about!

From reading the first novel just before 50%, I can already tell that this one will not be something that I will enjoy. The writing style grosses me out and I don't believe in misogyny through literature.

Thank you anyway for the chance in reading and reviewing this ARC, but it sadly will not be a good fit for my audience or me.

I was so excited to be able to read this book. I think the character growth from both Evan and Gen was spot on. I loved that we got to see their love story unfold and that they both had individual battles to overcome as well as ones together.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for sending me the ARC.

Told in dual points of view, Elle Kennedy's next novel in her "Avalon Bay' series has proven to be a perfect companion to "Good Girl Complex." It reads quite quickly, where I found myself pulled into the story and Genevieve and Evan as they hoped to shed their troublesome reputation and start fresh -- together.

CW: Assault