After one impulsive night too many, town wild child Gen fled Avalon Bay without a word, hoping to reinvent herself... until she is dragged home again, to face her sins and her lifelong partner-in-crime, whose heart she broke by leaving.

Verdict: a followup that outdoes the first book, with scarred, flawed leads worth rooting for

It seems to me, an observer of the romance world, as though it is near impossible to write a flawed heroine without bringing down the wrath of the Goodreads horde.

Frankly, I think that's disappointing.

I have read the same romance heroine over and over. I could describe her in my sleep. Down to earth, casually funny, pretty without making too concerted an effort, perhaps a bit sheltered or dorky, beloved by any dogs involved, with a serious weakness for some favorite food, into books and coffee and old eccentric neighbors. Perhaps intimidated by the cool sexy girls she expects her leading man to be interested in, and generally not one of them. She mirrors the target audience, in an idealized way.

Gen is not that heroine, and this is not that love story.

And you know what? I think that she and Evan are more interesting than the normal romance novel fodder because they are more flawed. And their relationship is more interesting, too. I found myself rooting for them despite their alleged history of "bad" behavior, because they're fundamentally very lovable and very loving characters, who learn and grow and do dumb stuff and find thrills and pitfalls in their own impulses.

If I had to pick one thing to criticize, it might be that the push toward "reforming" themselves and each other was so strong that I almost didn't understand why they were driving toward it or how either of them had defined becoming "good." I liked them as they were already; they were fun. And overhauling your personality to get with someone seems like a bad idea anyway. The story could easily have cut out some of this; the motives and end goals for changing themselves throughout were murky.

All in all, I'm glad for the chance to revisit our beachside town and our hot Hartley twins. Elle Kennedy doesn't miss.

And I love when her heroines have enough personality to pop off the page. My favorite is probably Summer from The Chase, and she and Fitz are likewise all the better complements for each other because of their individual flaws.

This is the ARC I have been most excited about so far this year. Thank you to Elle Kennedy and St. Martin's Press!

TLDR: Two headstrong leads with tons of personality and a rich history bring even more heart than his twin brother's story did.

Bad Girl Reputation allowed the best of Gen and Evan to come through, as they were actively working to better themselves. I didn’t think the two books would be similar, but I honestly love the direction Bad Girl Reputation went in. Some heavy themes were brought up through the book, but I feel that they were handled well. They weren’t brushed off and put away, but dealt with in such a real way.

I loved Gen and Evan together, but I also
loved their individual stories, and the appearances from characters from Good Girl Complex. It allowed for both characters to show who they are and that made their story together all the better in my opinion.

I loved this one from Elle Kennedy. She does a great job of making books compelling and make the reader keep coming back for more!

I was SO excited to receive the ARC of Bad Girl Reputation. Good Girl Complex was one of my favorite reads in February so I was so excited to jump back into Avalon Bay. It was a perfect read for summer and I loved every minute of it. This book was fun and angsty but also talked about important topics. I flew through this and can't wait to continue to learn more about the characters of Avalon Bay!

Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy
320 Pages
Genre: Romance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this second chance romance between Genieve (Gen) and Evan. This is the second book in the series, first was Good Girl Complex, with Cooper (Evans brother) and Mackenzie. Gen and Evan are the on again off again always into trouble couple. They are hot and heavy and love a thrill. I loved their chemistry in this book and wasn’t expecting all that steam 🥵

They grew up together and understand each other more than anyone. They both had a tougher life than most and not the most reliable mothers. But Gen is ready to grow up and start a new life. Can Evan get on board and end his partying ways?

I really loved this book and was a little surprised as the first book was a bit slower than this one. This had a good steamy romance, good back story and made me laugh quite a bit. Evan would definitely make a good book boyfriend!

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Elle Kennedy is one of my favorite author's, this series is definitely a nice summer series for me. It is similar to outerbanks to me, but add in more romance minus the treasure and all that. This series is more messy in the way that the relationships are portrayed. I think that the characters in this specific book have a lot to work through in order to actually be together.

Bad Girl Reputation is about Genevieve and Evan and their second chance at romance since Gene left town and never turned back. But once Gene's mom passes away, she comes back into town and swept back into Evan's orbit. Their story involved a lot of back and forth and different issues that could've been solved easier. But I personally think that's how most relationships go at this age when people aren't emotionally ready for a relationship. Second chance romance is one of my favourites due to all of the memories and emotions put into the story.

This is a great read if you need something lighter and summery <3

Gen is no Good Girl. In Elle Kennedy's first Avalon Bay novel Gen is only a name - we never meet the girl who broke Evan's, the bad-boy twin's, heart. The good part - Kennedy does a great job humanizing the reputation Gen has - definitely a down for anything go for it girl from the wrong side of the tracks. But with the introduction of her family and her history, we get her side of things, and you can see how we might have misjudged. . . . a good reminder for real life, too... walk in someone's shoes before making all those comments.

A fun read, but I liked Mac and Cooper's story a bit more.

Loved the 2nd book in the Avalon Bay series. Elle Kennedy knows how to hook you in with a steamy scene in the first chapter. Loved reading about Evan and Gen as they learn to grow together and accept responsibility for their past.

If your looking for a quick, steamy, beach read this is the book for you. Can’t wait to see which characters are next in the Avalon Bay series!

Thank you St.Martin’s press for the ARC!

This is a good book. The two main characters are Gen and Evan. They have known each other all their lives. They have been a couple almost the whole time. Gen broke up with Evan a year ago and moved. She returned home when her Mom dies. Her dad asked to help in his business as the office manager. She tells him she will help out. She begins see Evan again. They each have issues but together find they love each other.

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Bad Girl Reputation is the me second in the Avalon Bay series by Elle Kennedy.
Gen is a former bad girl who’s trying to have a fresh start in life. He high school boyfriend and partner in crime is having a hard time accepting the new and improved Gen but decides to get on the life improvement wagon. Together they try to make lasting changes, reintroduce themselves to each other, themselves, and the tiny town that has a long memory of their shenanigans. .
I really enjoyed the first book but had luke warm feelings about this one. It took me a lot longer to get through. Overall the story was interesting enough that I stayed engaged. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Bad Girl Reputation picks up right after the events of Good Girl Complex. Genevieve has just returned back to town after running away without saying goodbye to Evan.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I do have some gripes, for instance I do wish there would have been more development for both Gen and Evan. I felt their personal development was trivial and a lot of their relationship was purely sexual. However, with this set up, it helped to create a book with a lighter feel to it. One thing that really stood out to me was the dialogue between Gen and Evan. This really helped to connect and fall in love with the characters. I also really liked the continuation of storylines from the first book. I just hope to see some more of these characters.

One of this Fall's hottest romance reads! 

It's a second chances romance. Gen and Evan grew up together and were on and off again, the bad boy and bad girl in town. One day a year ago Gen up and moved to Charleston ripping out a huge piece of Evans heart. She wasn't only his love she was his best friend. Now she's back in town and trying to prove to everyone she's out grown her bad girl reputation. Part of this includes dating a good boy but she can't resist the pull between her and Evan and ends up being chased by both.
Who does she ultimately chose? Will she stay in Avalon Bay? Can she keep the lively, outgoing, fun personality without the need for partying and drinking or is she only dimming her light to become someone she's not?

Find out on October 4th!

I honestly enjoyed this one just as much as Good Girl Complex. I loved that Gen and Evan had a long history and watching them come back together was really beautiful and inspiring.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review! Can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. After binge-watching The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime, I knew I had to get more like it and the drama of Avalon Bay definitely provided. Not sure if I would say it delivered, though. This book is honestly something I would read just for the vibes and not really something if you're looking for compelling character arcs, plot, or actual development. There was some between Evan and Cooper, but I felt like that was pretty surface level. I enjoyed it and it's a wonderful read to dive back into the Avalon Bay/rich kid atmosphere, especially if you're a sucker for second-chance like me. Just get ready for toxicity and sooooo much miscommunication.

The beginning of this book is toxic. Evan and Gen are not likeable, but as the story progresses, I gave a lot of credit to Genevieve and the determination she had to walk away from a life that was familiar and comfortable to her. The only one she'd ever known and where her entire family still lived. I enjoyed the strength that she recognized that if she didn't change her life, her habits, and the toxic way she was living that she was only headed for disaster. It's only when Genevieve comes back, after a year away, that she gives in a little bit mind you, unable to stay away from the man who was still living a destructive life that Gen actually makes him see the light about his life as well.

While these two struggle in their reconnection, for multiple reasons, I still stand by...I did like the strength in Gen transforming herself into a better person.

Evan is one of those heroes that is not very likeable in the beginning, but as the story progresses, and he comes out of the toxic fog he was living his life in, I enjoyed getting to know the new Evan. You see, Evan was happy living in his bubble and didn't see anything wrong with his life or the toxic decisions he continually made. Thankfully he does wake up and begin to make major changes, while still holding on to his charm that originally won Genevieve over years ago.

I'm really glad that I stuck with this story and didn't give up when I didn't fall in love with everyone right from the get go. This is a book where the main characters experience big character growth while making those big life choices. While I do love to get lost in fiction, this has a nice balance of both.

A 4.5 read overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This series is absolutely perfect for fans of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” who are craving another light but still angsty summer romance. Genevieve and Evan’s back and forth will-they-won’t-they relationship keeps drawing readers back in—something I did not expect since I was not a big fan of Gen based on what I read in “Good Girl Complex.” Elle Kennedy is my absolute favorite “no thoughts just vibes” author and this book has been no different than all the others I’ve read by her, and I mean that in the best way possible. While I did enjoy the book as a whole, I did find the ending a bit rushed and thought Evan’s sudden change of heart was unnecessary and confusing. Also, while the chemistry between Evan and Gen being unpredictable was entertaining a majority of the time, it did become annoying when events would occur without any real explanation. That being said, I did love the development of the relationships between Evan and Cooper, as well as between Evan and his mother. Of course, I have to say the best connection in the novel was between Evan and Riley and I do wish there had been more of them. Regardless, this was a very enjoyable read and I absolutely would recommend it. 3.5 stars.

Elle Kennedy is one of my favorite authors. I felt really lucky to be able to read an ARC of this book. I didn’t think I’d be able to wait all the way into October.

This book hit close to home in a lot of ways for me. It elicited a lot of different emotions for me and I felt like I connected with Gen’s character. I related to her push for sobriety and the turmoil inbeing comfortable parting with the past and fighting what you want in the future. It’s really about self discovery and self growth.

Both characters had good development. I liked seeing them grow as individuals but also as a couple.

There were times that I was annoyed at the friends, especially in the beginning who didn’t have a respect/wanted to be pushy about her not drinking, and that was a little cringe to me. But I understand that it’s a realistic experience.

Overall, really enjoyed the read. I enjoy the character cast and the group of friends and I hope this continues as a series and maybe we get books about more of the friends.

3.5 stars; Bad Girl Reputation is a good, easy read. The beginning was a little clunky for me. I felt like we came in at the middle of the story. I needed some background or a prologue or something to introduce the characters (and there are a lot). I also didn’t appreciate some of Evan’s early antics; like how come he can date and mess around but Gen can’t? Double standard much? I guess I just prefer my heroes to be more mature. Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of romance and new adult who are looking for a quick read and enjoy the second chance romance trope.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

I was a bit confused with this one as it’s a sequel to the first, I did find the writing compelling and I’d read something else the author comes out with. I loved the book cover so much. I also liked the funny banter in the book.

This was my first book my Elle Kennedy & I loved it!! Gen & Evan were so feisty & full of fire (okay desire) I loved that both characters “grew up” & still found their way to one another. Second chance love is not always my favorite trope but it worked in this book! I definitely need to read Good Girl Complex to dive deeper into Coop & Mac!

This book started off rough. Evan and Gen were both so dull and difficult to like that it was hard to root for them. Their childish games drove me crazy. Many of their problems could have been prevented if they had just communicated like adults. Once Evan and Gen started communicating, the book became better, but not by much. By the end, the story had become messy to the point that I couldn't read it anymore. Because I loved the first book so much, I was expecting a lot from this book, but I was disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.