I am a little blown away by how well Elle Kennedy followed up Good Girl Complex. It was a hard act to follow, but she did it perfectly. Introducing Gen and her story brought a whole different dynamic to Avalon Bay and I absolutely loved it. Seeing Evan and Gen's character growth was so sweet and having already fallen in love with the rest of the characters made it even better. She also had me laughing out loud at times with the group's banter. There were some great plot twists that made it hard to put down. I highly recommend this to any rom-com lovers looking for a little more emotional read.

I enjoy that this series is the ideal relaxation read. The ability to have a no thoughts head empty few hours is incredible.

While the characters were a bit childish I did think they did develop and change over the course of the book and I thought motivations made sense. While Gen and Evan were not the most emotionally intune I did enjoy their physical and sexual attraction. It made sense for them.

Overall fun!

I thought this book was just okay. The main character Gen was slightly annoying. She’s described as being this badass rebel character but I didn’t get that through the text. I feel like the author had to use characters around Gen to make her seem like a “mess.” I almost wish we got to read their past to really get a good picture of the nature of the characters. I didn’t like how the two leads constantly dismissed each other for not being good for the other and then the book just ending with them saying okay nevermind let’s just be together. The conflict was kind of silly. And this is me being nit picky but I wish the characters were older and had spent more time apart for this to be even more believable. With that said, I actually enjoyed reading this book and think it’s a mindless read for the summer.

4.25/5⭐️
I actually genuinely enjoyed this book. Enjoyed the spice and the growth of both characters. Evan Hartley is soooo fine. The author did a great job in showing his character development throughout the whole book. It shows the imbalances a young relationship may have when one decides to mature faster than the other and grow out of their rebellious stage. Genevieve was a great depiction of young girl trying to figure out where she fits into the world. It’s good to show that delinquency does not always continue to adulthood and that people really do change. If they’re meant to be, they’re meant to be.

This book was everything I wanted in the second of Avalon Bay series! i was really invested in coop and Mac, but Evan and Gen might have captivated me even more.

Seeing the stark differences in Gen’s story and Mac’s story is crazy. Ones trying to be more “bad” while the other is trying to be better.

I loved reading the tension and spice between these two, and I hope if there’s a third book that it’s about Wyatt, Tate and Alana 😍 That’s a story that needs unraveled for sure!

I liked the way that this book turned the "bad boy" trope on its head. Genevieve is a former bad girl who left town at the spur of the moment in an effort to change her life. Evan is the bad boy who may not have his life together but knows with every fiber of his being that he is madly in love with Genevieve. Both are "bad" and they have a toxic history that complicates their undeniable attraction. I enjoyed the fact that this book focused on the importance of self reflection and self growth. But, I just didn't root for the couple. The book is very hot and well written. I just personally don't enjoy reading about two toxic people being toxic towards each other in a way that often inconveniences the entire town. I would have found them so annoying in real life! I relate to the panic that happens at 22 when you realize that you need to yank your life together or otherwise repeat family curses. I think this is a great book if you're looking for a spicy book that deals with parental trauma, the challenge of loving someone when you don't like yourself, or enjoy reading about female dirtbags (I mean this in the most complimentary way). This book wasn't for me but i could see someone else really enjoying it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. It was great to jump back into the same world as Good Girl Complex except this time with a different trope! If you enjoyed the first in the series you’ll enjoy this one as well. The series does not need to be read in order but it does help to read Good Girl Complex first.

This was a great read! I definitely enjoyed this more than the first book. I was a bit hesitant because I didn’t love book one, but I’m glad I read this one. Evan and Gen have such a great dynamic! I loved all of their interactions and their inabilities to keep their hands to themselves. My favorite scene hands down was the sailing - I could not stop laughing!! Riley is adorable and I love that Evan steps up and becomes a brother figure to him.

2.5 Stars for me. Some spoilers follow.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I have loved some of Elle Kennedy's other books, but the story and the characters just fell flat for me.

While I admire Gen and the struggle she went through, she never managed to find or look for any sort of middle ground. The first time she attempted it, it went spectacularly wrong. No one ever seemed to recognize the growth she had made and she never seemed to come to terms with Evan about why she ditched him and why that had to involve cutting him out completely. I was pretty disappointed with the fact that she never dealt with anything regarding her Mom. Although I know that there are relationships where the death of a parent means nothing to a child, Gen's complete ignoring of her mother's death and insistence that it really didn't mean much at all to her made her a hard character to like.

Evan had almost zero growth throughout the book. He was immature and it felt like I was reading about a high schooler with sex on the brain 24/7. He did manage to give his mom a second chance, after she had proven time and time again that she was a less than stellar parent in every single way, including stealing his twin brother's life savings. If we take a step back and look at how Gen left him and how he took his mother back, it's no wonder he was like a desperate puppy for Gen's affections. Personally, it would have been nice to see Evan take just the smallest bit of pride in himself and stop letting people walk all over him. Sure, Gen might be dynamite in bed, but she should have done a little more to resolve their several years long relationship rather than just leave Evan without a word. Then, when she comes back, there he is, waiting and desperately wanting. She says she wants him to change, and BOOM. He instantly gets rid of all the negative about himself, no problem!

Both Gen and Evan's families and friends treat them as if they are incapable of making their own decisions. Evan's brother has it out with Gen, tells her to stay away from his brother, then once Gen and Evan are together again, not a single word is said.

Also, apparently it's hot when your ex has a terrible temper, interrupts you on dates with another guy and shows out in a spectacular manner?

Personally, I was Team Harrison, and I guess that's probably why this book didn't work for me. Regardless of my feelings on this particular book, Elle Kennedy is an author worth reading and I will definitely be picking up some of her other books. I'll just leave the Gens and the Evans of the reading world on the backburner.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Posted on IG: a_dreamy_far_off_book and goodreads.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Girl Reputation is a second chance romance between bad boy Evan and reformed bad girl Genevieve who left town. They were childhood best friends turned lovers, they had a very off and on relationship driven by sex, jealousy and breaking rules. After something happens with Gen she leaves town and tries to change, but now she i s backing helping her family's business and trying to keep from falling back into her old way, and a major factor to that was Evan, she thinks it's best to steer clear but Evan is still in love with her and will do whatever he can to get her back.
We also get glimpses of Cooper and Mac throughout the book as well.

I loved Elle Kennedy's Off campus and Briar U series and was excited when Good girl complex came out to have another great series from her but with these two books I don't think it is coming close to either of those series. The writing is good, the relationship development was okay, there were cute moments, but nothing left me wanting Evan as a book boyfriend.

There was so much about how off and on their relationship was and honestly how toxic they were that it was hard to get into and support a reconciliation between them. It was good to see them both do their best to change and move ahead from their "bad" reputations, doing their bests to better themselves and then actually enjoying the new versions was great. In my opinion, there wasn't much opportunity for the reader to connect with the characters, except for the family responsibility and parent relationships maybe? making it harder to really get into the book and root for the characters. MIght I add that Harrison deserved better.

It was a okay read, I wouldn't reread it unlike the Off campus and Briar U series which I have reread more than once

Elle Kennedy is fast becoming one of my favorite authors for memorable characters, engaging banter and passionate romance.

BAD GIRL REPUTATION has so many of the lesser used themes that are hard to craft like making something funny while the characters are enmeshed in a troubled journey. This story had me at the edge of my seat because it was about the need for Gen and Evan either change or continue to bring each other down with their volatile chemistry and wild ways, but as Evan points out in the story, there is no sense trying to change unless you are doing it for yourself first, not someone else,

I loved the chemistry between these two. They existed in a cloud of volatile gas where one spark set them off on some crazy scheme or hot time. Evan’s idea of changing for the better include a few pursuits that don’t go quite according to plan.

The secondary stories are so important with Evan’s twin, their estranged mother, Gen’s family and the reason she left town a year ago without saying good-bye. It’s a story of love and forgiveness - of one’s self and others.

I received an advance copy of this book to read from NetGalley. My review is my unsolicited opinion.

This was my first book by this author and I wasn’t disappointed! I loved Gen and Evan and especially the push and pull angst between them! To me, that’s what makes an interesting story! Gen is reformed from her bad girl ways and knows she needs to stay away from her ex so she doesn’t fall back to her old ways. But, her attraction to Evan is still there and she can’t seem to stay away from him. I love the growth that both of these characters had and their chemistry is explosive! You could feel it from the first chapter!

Now, the bad…the only reason I’m giving this book four stars instead of five is the whole Harrison situation! I didn’t care for it at all! I get Gen is trying to make Evan jealous but to run from one to the other multiple times is just ick to me. I felt terrible for Harrison and I hope he gets his own HEA soon! I also hope that Gen’s brothers get their own books!

This was a cute book! I’m not usually a fan of second chance romance, but this one kept me interested the whole time. Sometimes I wanted to shake them with how much they kept yo-yoing back and forth, but we got there in the end.

I have received this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very cute story but not too lighthearted. The right amount of depth and romance. It had all the good qualities I like in a book (redemption, growth, etc.

I enjoyed Riley and Evan forming a relationship as well as Shelley growing too. I did not care for Shelley in Good Girl Complex, but I am proud of her for committing herself to doing better for her sons and herself.

Genevieve was a very relatable character. They are from a smaller town in which reputations from high school mostly stick with you. Watching Genevieve and Evan grow throughout the book is a very lovely end to the book. Truly was a very enjoyable book.

This was a quick, enjoyable, easy breezy read. I think the negative reviews I have seen focus way too much on the “logic” or @irrational behavior” of some characters and didn’t just enjoy the ride.

I really loved the relationship rollercoaster between Gen and Evan! It is amazing what some loss and a new phase of life will do to your view of love.

Ignore the negative reviews and just go into this one blind. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the read and watch a little love story play out.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martins Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Ugh the pull these two had, I loved it!

Genevieve and Evan were a hot mess I enjoyed reading. This is the first book I've read that was in the point of a "bad" girl wanting to make changes for the better. It was wonderful seeing them grow both together and individually.

Elle Kennedy has done it YET again. The second book (and I’m hoping not the last) is another home run! I will say this was a second chance romance where I wasn’t sure I was totally rooting for them in the beginning, but because Elle Kennedy never fails to work her magic, by the middle of book I felt like I was a crazed fan in the stands rooting them on with a giant foam finger.

This book as so much heart, humor, and proves that most of us deserve a second chance in life and love.

If you’re an Elle Kennedy fan, I highly suggest this book, and if you’re not, what are you waiting for? You’re missing out!!!

Wow. I went into this book honestly just expecting a typical romance. I was pleasantly surprised. The character development in this book was amazing. I really enjoyed reading it and Elle did a great job of drawing you in. The amount of detail and humor will hook you and the characters will make you fall in love. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This is easily one of my most anticipated books for 2022, so I was SO EXCITED to see I was allowed to read an early copy. I devoured it in just a couple days!!

I enjoyed this read so much. Despite it having one of my least favorite tropes (second chance romance), I still knew within 10% of reading that it would be a new favorite. The connection between our main characters, Gen and Evan, was so believable and real. I could understand their hesitations, their insecurities, and their actions throughout the book. Message to Elle Kennedy: Where can I find a man who’s as crazy for me as Evan is Gen?!!! Can you write my own romance novel, starring me? I think you’d do a great job as always!

I loved the back and forth banter. The pining. The jealousy. The character growth. The humor. Seriously, Gen and Evan are some of the funniest characters I’ve read and I need more of them in my life. This book isn’t even released yet…. And HERE I AM begging for a little novella (or extra scene???).

If you love romance, especially with a little drama mixed in, I highly recommend to pick this up on release day!

Gen + Evan are cute together. I enjoyed the second chance romance aspect of this book and the amount of growth that took place among the two. I also enjoyed getting to see characters from the first book and what they were up to!

All in all, the storyline just didn’t grab me as much as the first book in the series is. It was predictable and I was not super intrigued throughout the book.

It did set us up for more books in the series, and I am willing to continue reading! I enjoy the characters and tight knit beach community.