This was not as good as I had expected it to be. I liked it enough, but I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it. I found it started off a bit boring, but then it picked up and I really got into it, but almost just as fast it kind of fell flat for me. I think my biggest issue was that I didn’t find the main characters likable. When you don’t find the MC’s likable, it makes it hard to really enjoy a story. The whole time, I was just hoping they wouldn’t get back together. I didn’t feel they had any real chemistry together, the only thing they were good at doing together was each other. On that note, this was a very spicy book! The spice level was great, probably the best part of the book.

Overall, it was okay.

This was way better than I thought it was going to be even though some of the plot was predictable, the ending, But it did not deter from the off the charts chemistry between Gen and Evan. They both have to prove they are better people than their past mistakes. This chemistry was the entire book.

I did not read the prior book to this series, nor was I aware that this was a series. It was still a decent book nonetheless.

Recommended but not too memorable.

Thanks to Elle Kennedy, Netgalley and Nelson Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available!

Muddled at times but overall an interesting set of character arcs. Interested to see where this progresses to - and good to see continued growth of characters from the first book.

So I LOVED The Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy, those books took me back to my youth and reminded me of all the ups and downs we each go through while growing up. My experience with that series is what drew me to give her new Avalon Bay series a whirl. Bad Girl Reputation is book two in the series and its main characters Genevieve and Evan have a LOT of drama going on. These two have known each other their entire lives and you definitely get an implied soul mate vibe. But sadly, the reality is these two are in a very immature and toxic relationship in their youth. They were constantly breaking up and getting back together, purposefully trying to make the other jealous with new partners they could care less about. There was a lot of drinking and partying which lead to bad decisions. One night Gen has a really bad encounter with the town Sheriff Rusty. This leads Gen deciding she needs to grow up (which I agree with) and she packs up and leaves town without a word.

A year goes by and Genevieve’s mother ends up passing away which leads to her return to town for the funeral. While Gen has gotten her life together and matured, time has stayed frozen for Evan. He has continued to hook up with every female he encounters and is constantly drinking, fighting and partying. This entire book is Evans “come to Jesus” moment, if he really wants a relationship with Gen then this is his last chance to grow up and prove himself a worthy non-toxic partner.

There is definite chemistry between the two MC’s but both of them being hot and cold throughout was a real turn off. Overall the plot was lacking and this was not a favorite of mine.

Elle Kennedy can do no wrong. I loved returning back to Avalon Bay after the first book introduced me to characters I couldn't wait to learn more about.

Gen wasn't and honestly still isn't my favorite, the reformed "bad girl" avoiding her feelings because she fears that her ex will drag her back into her old ways, meh. She seemed immature in some ways and I just couldn't find myself liking her.

It was the connection between Gen and Evan that saved this for me, their chemistry kept me turning the page till I finished.

I look forward to more avalon bay!

I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

When Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen get together, their books are AMAZING... like 5+ stars.

But, so far every book I've read by Elle Kennedy alone, I've disliked. I just can't seem to get into her books. I personally didn't like the way this book was written, it failed to keep me captivated. The characters were really cheesy and not likeable at all.

Gen and Evan were everything!! Elle Kennedy knows how to give us an amazing couple every time. The banter, the heat, the emotions ahh everything about this second chance romance was perfect.

3.5 stars - Bad Girl Reputation is a pretty good read. The beginning reads like it's going to be a trying story, but if you stick with it, it improves. A disconnect that remains is that the characters’ behavior doesn't seem to gel with their ages. They read like people in their early twenties (like not yet college graduates), though I think they’re supposed to be late twenties.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ok so this is kinda hard for me to write....
I usually love Elle Kennedy books and the first book of the series (The Good Girl Complex) was really good but this one just lacked something for me. I hate writing a review like this and gave it 3 stars bc of the author is one i like alot but as a book this would have gotten lower stars :(
I truly hope that others enjoy it and I am just being a weirdo on this book right now. (sometimes i can be a mood reader).

Here we get Evan and Genevieve's story - which was def hinted at a lot in the first book of the series.
These two have been friends since childhood, they dated on and off since high school.
So we have a 2nd chance trope with a touch of friends to lovers i gues you could say.
The POV is dual from both of their perspectives.

The next book in the series is The Summer Girl and of course I will be reading this one also and I am hoping that it is better (like the first one) for me.

I was able to read this book as an ARC and am so thankful to the publisher and NetGalley. The above
review/opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.

3.5 This book was cute little love story but don’t know if it’s something that will stick with me long. This story follows Jenn who comes back to her hometown to help her dad out after her mom passed away. Jenn is going to run the office for her dads business. Jenn left the town after school known as the bad girl but she has come back a changed woman. We also follow Evan Jenna old boyfriend a bad boy that has gotten her into trouble in the past. Jenn struggles to realize she might not be the only one who’s changed. This book was really cute I loved Jenn as the main character and her family dynamics were so entertaining. The only problem for me was I didn’t feel much chemistry between the main couple. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Elle Kennedy creates characters who are flawed, complex, and you always find yourself rooting for. That was true of the first book and it’s certainly true of this second book of the Avalon Bay series.

Genevieve is not only dealing with the devastation of her mother’s death but the complications of returning to her home town where she can’t seem to get people to forget her past misdeeds. Genevieve wishes everyone would just forget the dumb choices she made as a kid and see how much she’s grown in the time she’s been away. The best way to do that is to stay clear of her bad boy ex-boyfriend Evan. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.

Fortunately for us Genevieve and Evan cannot stay away from one another. Their chemistry was fantastic and so fun to read about. I didn’t think I would like Genevieve’s character given how she was portrayed in the first book in this series so I took me a little bit to connect with her character. However, once I did I was all in and couldn’t wait for her and Evan to work things out. Now, I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

I powered through book 1 of this series even though I did not like it. I got 30% into the second book and knew it was not for me.

I loved the first installment in the series, but this one just didn’t work for me, and I think it’s safe to say I won’t continue on with the series as it progresses.

I was pretty disappointed by this book. Elle Kennedy is one of my favorite authors and she was the catalyst that got me into the romance genre. I was excited for part two of Good Girl Complex, which I also didn't like very much, but this one fell flat.

There were problems with both characters which they mentioned frequently but never dove into. I knew about Gen's internal conflict, only by the time it was mentioned, she was already thinking about something else. There wasn't any resolution on either of their problems. The idea of the book was good, but the execution was horrible. Evan was sweet, but he was relentless and wouldn't leave gen alone. Everything also felt very, very rushed, at the same time that I felt like nothing happened.

This hit a little hard on the whole bad boy and bad girl reputation early on and tried to redeem itself with good old fashioned ‘courting’ but it missed the mark for me. Everyone getting irrationally jealous just wasn’t my jam. I was still entertained though.

Middle of the road romance for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I ended up DNFing this book after the second chapter... I love Elle Kennedy's other novels, and had high hopes for this one as well, but it just wasn't for me. The first book in the series was a big miss for me. The character's seemed like they brought out the worst in each other, and there were so many side plots going on that never seemed to get truly wrapped up. I still tried to give Bad Girl Reputation a chance, but after the second chapter I knew it wasn't going to be the book for me. I still love Elle Kennedy and will read more from her in the future, but this series was a miss for me.

I absolutely loved this book and so far this series. I loved that we got to see glimpses of Mac and Cooper from the previous book (Good Girl Complex) but story of Genevieve and Evan stands out enough on it's own to be read as a standalone.

Genevieve and Evan have a complicated relationship (who hasn't been there before.) They're no good for each other most of the time and they've sworn they're not going to continue on this yo-yo of a relationship. Genevieve got out. She left Avalon Bay and the reputation she had behind and got a fresh start in her college time. She was making a change in her life. All of a sudden a death in the family brings her back to the bay and who does she immediately run into... Evan. The bad boy. The one who makes her feel alive. She doesn't want that life anymore though... or does she? She can't have Evan and this new healthy life she's created for herself.... or can she?

This story is so much more than just second chance romance. It's about second chances in general. I absolutely loved it and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the second chance/bad boy trope.

I have read quite a few Elle Kennedy books and it has gotten a little boring now. The themes and conflicts are frankly repetitive and I don't see myself rereading or going to grab one of her books again.

Thank you NetGalley for this book, this is my honest review.

⭐⭐⭐.5

𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙆𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙙𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣 𝘽𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.

📍 Read if you like:
• Small Town Settings
• Beach Towns
• Second Chance
• Dual POV
• Miscommunication

I really enjoyed 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 so I was so excited to dive into the second book in the series. I didn’t love this one as much, but I did find it enjoyable for the most part.

The small-town setting was so fun to read about, I always love when romances are set in small towns - the characters are always more relatable and it’s easier to root for them. In this one, I absolutely loved Evan and Genevieve. I loved Cooper so much in the first book so I’m glad I loved his twin brother, Cooper, just as much.

The book made me want to be at Avalon Bay. I personally don’t tend to enjoy second-chance romances, however, I found it to be interesting in this one. While at times it did get a bit repetitive, I feel like the story itself is written in a way where you feel like you’re part of the book.

The miscommunication trope did occur at times… which I am never a fan of.

I will say I love when romances have dual povs. I have read some in the past where it’s only the female’s perspective and usually, it’s harder to connect to the love interest. I honestly can understand why some people did not enjoy this book. It is more uneventful than the first book, however, I personally enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best romance book by any means, there were some parts I did not love - but I feel like this series is so worth the read.

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts are my own!