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

Gen and Evan have been in an on/off relationship since they were in high school. Their chemistry is intense, together they are trouble though. After an incident, Gen decides she wants to clean up her act and that means leaving Evan behind.

This is a cute second-chance romance. It is dual POV and while there were moments that had me laughing and moments that had me going "awww". I did find myself skimming throughout the story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Deal is one of my favorite books of all time so when an ARC for a book by Elle Kennedy was available, I was super excited to read it.
Though I had a very different experience with this book. I found it very slow to start and I couldn't really relate to Genevieve. I admired her dedication to become a better person, to learn to forgive herself but in a way, I never connected with her. I also found myself skimming most of the time so I'm not sure if that counts. I loved the tension, banter, and angst between her and Evan but couldn't help but notice their relationship was a little toxic too. Also, I feel like the second chance romance trope is harder to enjoy without a good plot that keeps you on your toes. But the whole childhood friends to lovers? Perfect. Eventually, they grew on me as they matured a bit more toward the ending.
I'll definitely keep reading more books by Elle Kennedy.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Girl reputation is a fun summer read !
Gen is back in her home town, and meets her ex Evan, and their chemistry is so palpable, everyone around them can feel it. She's doing her best to move on, since she realizes how toxic (albeit hot) they were together.

I really enjoyed this book, and maybe more than the first which featured Evean's brother, Cooper.

Recommend if you enjoy the "no one touches her but me", friends-lovers-enemies-lovers, small town romance

triggers: excessive drinking, sexual assault

This book was just not for me. I found the characters to be way too immature and toxic for each other. There really wasn't any development and I have to say I didn't really want them to even end up together.

Run don’t walk to buy this book! Ellie Kennedy does it again with a romance novel that makes you want to keep reading. Gen and Evans love story was heartwarming and well developed. The characters were complex and I loved all of the stories that were woven in. This book had me reading late into the evening saying just one more chapter.

I will read anything Ellie Kennedy publishes she is a phenomenal author and knows how to capture an audience. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you net galley and publishers for the early read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I had SUCH a problem with the first book, but this one was better.

If there is anything I am a sucker for, it is the childhood friends to lovers/second chance romance trope so I was here for this book.

I fell in love with Evan in the first book so I was excited to read this one. The blow pop thing was so freaking cute 🥹

The part that’s bothering me so far with this series is THAT DANG HOTEL! Why is it not finished?! Will we ever read about the grand opening? Sigh