I liked this book it was an easy read and perfect to get you out of a funk. At first I struggled to get into because i just thought the characters to be unlikable , but they grew on me throughout! this book made me want to read the first and keep an eye out for the next!

I'll read almost anything Elle Kennedy writes, but this wasn't my favorite of hers. Both characters struggle with their "growing up" and learn to be better together and also independently. While I loved seeing real issues being tackled, and loved the way Evan loves Gen, I just didn't love the way Gen's struggles were handled.

All in all, this was a good story. Not as cutesy as Mac and Coop, but I think that was too be expected. CW: alcoholism, mentions of SA

I was so excited to jump into Evan's story after reading about his twin in Good Girl Complex (a favorite read of the year). While the first book remains my favorite, I loved Bad Girl Reputation and will highly recommend it to those who loved the first book and any of Elle Kennedy's books. I loved the transformation in Gen and her really learning she doesn't have to continue the narrative of who she once was.

This second book in the Avalon Bay series is the love story between Evan, identical twin of Cooper from Good Girl Complex, and his on again-off again girlfriend Genevieve. It is all about second chances…and not just the romantic variety.

The main problem with this story is the dynamic between Evan and Cooper which is really off-putting. Their angry, violent reactions to perceived and actual slights (often rooted in jealousy) are not only unattractive but, in my opinion, raise red flags about how they’ll treat the women and children in their lives if they don’t get their behavior under control. It’s hard to imagine how the immature, reckless Evan can redeem himself by the end of the book, but he manages it because he knows he’ll never win Genevieve if he doesn’t clean up his act. One has to wonder if, once the story ends, this very young couple will have the happily-ever-after romance fans expect.

Overall, it’s a good book in terms of writing and character development, but the male protagonists are not easy to like. Fans of the first book are apt to be disappointed.

Trigger warning: bad cops

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book was cute from start to finish! I enjoyed so many parts in this, and if you like the traditional rom-com type of story, this is definitely for you! With a sexy twist, this second book in the series is definitely a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me this ARC so that I can write this honest review!

I did not read the 1st book (Good Girl Complex) but I really enjoyed this book! This can be read as a stand-alone book.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5

This book demonstrates how imperfect life can be. The characters are messy, their relationships are strained, and they have some family issues. However, the character growth and maturation was very natural and refreshing. Both main characters had room to grow through this book without it feeling rushed.

The book explores changing your life for yourself and not because of other people opinion or pressure. It also briefly touches on grief and family loss (either by death or abandonment).

The romance itself was good and everything tied up in a nice bow.

I think it is worth reading especially for the growth and character development even if you are not too into rom-coms.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy, and St. Martin’s Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was not my favorite Elle Kennedy book. I felt the same way with the Good Girl Complex. Just not my cup of tea. There were definitely parts that I enjoyed, but I did not enjoy every aspect of the book. I felt like the romance was overshadowed by Gen and Evan. I also did not connect with them like I had with other characters that Elle Kennedy has written.

This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately and to my instagram account @ginganinja333 on October 4, 2022.

I am a big fan of Elle Kennedy and was really looking forward to Bad Girl Reputation, the second book in her new Avalon Bay series. Bad Girl Reputation is about Genevieve (Gen) and Evan who have had an on again/off again relationship since high school. Gen left town a year ago without saying a word to Evan to try and shed her bad girl reputation. Now she’s back for the time being but doesn’t want to fall back into old habits. Evan wants to pick up where they left off and remind Gen of the good times they had. Has Evan changed any of his wild partying ways while Gen’s been gone? Can he change them now that’s she back and he wants a second chance?

This is a contemporary romance and while there is definitely a romance in this book, I think it is overshadowed by the growth Gen and Evan make individually. Both Gen and Evan are pretty immature in a couple different ways which was challenging for me to read at times. But I was happy that they took strides to grow up, be more responsible, and take life a little more seriously. I didn’t fully connect with Gen and Evan but I still liked their characters for the most part. The “wooing” was cute despite the date crashing. I think that Riley really stole the show though.

One thing I really liked was seeing the other characters we were introduced to in the first book - even though I thought Cooper was a huge jerk in this book. Bad Girl Reputation was good but lacked the “spark” I normally feel when reading Elle Kennedy’s books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me. If you liked Good Girl Complex, I would give Bad Girl Reputation a try! I will read the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinion.

After being felt up by a cop in a bar and (illegally) entering the house of said cop, turning his wife and kids against him, Genevieve flees town, never to be seen again. That is until her mother’s funeral where she spots her ex, Evan. Twin brother of Cooper from Elle Kennedy’s hit novel, Good Girl Complex.

Evan and Gen have a love that is undeniable. Their chemistry is so obvious and that’s what I loved so much about this book. They both recognize that in order to move forward with their relationship, they both have to grow and change as people and get out of their “bad boy/girl” persona. They face a lot of challenges along the way, officer Randall being one but they overcome the challenges and realize they’re better together than apart.

I should also add that as readers, we see the sheer importance of family no matter big or small. With Evan, it was the rekindling of his relationship with his mom and with Gen, it was seeing her dad’s compassion and love for her through the hard times as well as the support and protectiveness from her 5 brothers.

This book is AMAZING. If I can recommend one thing, it’s PRE-ORDER THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. From the beginning of the book the characters were amazing, the plot was great and the banter was hilarious. I absolutely loved this one and can’t wait for my physical copy in October!

I enjoyed this advanced copy that was a little bit of sequel from the previous book. The good girl complex.
I enjoyed the first love story and coming back and changes.
Recommend.

So… I’ll be honest: second chance tropes are not my fave but Kennedy’s was redemptive. It’s clear from the very beginning that Gen and Evan their issues: they are both very flawed. And while the coming together at the end after they’ve grown up is sweet, it wasn’t my favorite Kennedy read.

I did really enjoy their story… it’s still a great spicy read! Fun for the beach or pool…

ARC given by NetGalley.

Bad Girl Reputation is a second chance romance. Loved it. I liked Good Girl Complex but this one I loved. Gen and Evan are such flawed characters yet they grow and learn together in order to love each other and stay together. Beautiful story.

I absolutely love Elle Kennedy. Bad Girl Reputation falls somewhere in the middle of her books for me, not my favorite not my least favorite. These main characters are COMPLEX. As she says in her author's note, this is a story of redemption and that means that they definitely have their flaw to begin with. I spent most of the book wondering whether I liked them or not lol. Not as lighthearted as her Off-Campus or Briar U series but still fun!

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the free arc!

I LOVED this book as a summer beach read. I adored Gen and Evan's chemistry, as it was explosive and full of angst. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed it, but I preferred other books like The Deal by Elle Kennedy more.

I loved Good Girl Complex so I was so excited to read the sequel, Bad Girl Reputation. Unfortunately it did not have the same magic as the first one. There just wasn’t enough plot or conflict to keep any momentum going in the story. I lost interest about halfway through and ended up giving up at the 60% mark. This story could benefit from some major content editing. It was very long winded, filled with pages and pages of mundane and repetitive happenings that really didn’t move the story going. But then again, there really wasn’t much of a story to keep going…the plot was extremely thin. I have loved Elle’s books in the past, I really hope this one goes through some much needed revisions before it gets published. Thank you the Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

I know there are some readers who like the bad boy/bad girl trope, but it's not really my cup of tea. This book was really shallow, lacked any plot, and was just unapologetically full of toxicity. Not for me.

3.5 stars

From the minute I heard about Evan & Gen's relationship in the first book I knew I needed to read this. I love a good second chance romance where the couple not only works through their issues together but also focuses on bettering themselves and this had it all. I found that I was able to connect with Evan and Gen much better than Cooper and Mac from book one. They fit together so well and the way they talked to one another just felt so fun and effortless. The only thing I didn't love was how a lot the plot points that felt really big throughout the book were dismissed so quickly at the end but I would still definitely recommend picking this up once it comes out!

This has all the fun, sweet elements I wanted in a book, so cute! I’d definitely recommend it to my family and friends.

Elle Kennedy does it again with a beautiful second chance romance. She takes the reader through a childhood love story with a grown up twist. What do you do when your true love love only brings out the worst in you? You grow up. This book was beautiful in showing that not only do you need time to discover who you are outside of a lifelong relationship but that maturing as a person doesn’t always mean growing apart as a couple. The story was beautifully written and the characters were truly relatable.

3.75/5⭐️
First and foremost, special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this ARC digital copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

If you read Cooper and Mac's story, get ready for another angst filled love story with spice.

A year after leaving town without so much as a good-bye, Gen returns to Avalon Bay for her mother's funeral and to help her father and brother's with the family business. Meanwhile, Evan has been pining for his childhood sweetheart for the last year since Gen left town.

Gen hit rock bottom after a night on the town with friends and decided to pack her bags and head to Charleston. She has been trying to get her life together, hold a steady job and leave the drinking/drugs in her past, along with her addiction; Evan. Upon returning to Avalon Bay, Gen and Evan quickly fall back into one another's lives. When Evan finds out why Gen left town a year ago, he realizes that things have changed. Gen doesn't want to go back down that path and so she tries to keep Evan at a distance.

If Evan wants the love of his life back, he's going to have to get his sh*t together, mature and become a responsible adult. Could his plan work? Will he be able to win Gen's love back? Or will good-guy, Harrison sweep Gen off her feet instead?

Gen and Evan have an almost toxic relationship: filled with jealousy, extreme chemistry, sexual tension, bickering and lots of make-up sex. However, they can't help themselves, always coming back for more. However, it works for the story and they eventually grow up together and help one another out.

I enjoyed their story and the characters grow on you the more you read. I definitely recommend Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy