I really liked Good Girl Complex so when I saw the next book in the Avalon Bay series was available via ARC, I clicked that request button as quickly as possible. I'm so excited I got to read this one before it releases on October 4. Elle Kennedy always manages to write books that keep me engaged and wanting more.

Cooper's twin brother Evan has been hung up on Genevieve since they were both kids. The two have had an on again off again relationship since they each started dating. They have this explosive chemistry, fueled many times by riling each other up and making the other jealous. The two get into all kinds of trouble and predicaments together. When Gen finally disappeared from Avalon Bay without a word to Evan, he's heartbroken and confused. He rebounds with any and every girl he comes across, all unsatisfying because he knows who he's always loved. When Gen finally returns after her mom passes away, the two are bound to continue running into one another in the small seaside town. This Gen isn't the same as the one who left months ago, though and Evan is determined to understand what happened and how he can be back with Gen, who's trying her hardest to not be the same bad girl she once was. She's stopped drinking and is backing off of the partying and bad decisions. Now, Evan is convinced he needs to reform himself as well so he doesn't lose the girl he's loved half his life.

I freaking loved this. I read it in one day, sneaking one chapter in after another every chance I got. I loved Evan's character so much in this one, after not liking him so much in Good Girl Complex. This guy was funny, charming, and a bit cocky. I loved the effort he put in with Gen (aka Fred) and how she always confidently knew he loved her. It was never a question. So. Good.

I was looking forward to this after reading the premise and because I love Kennedy’s The Deal, but I ended up being super disappointed. The characters are really immature and unlikable from the start, and they don’t get much better. There’s also too many side plots with friends that I didn’t care about at all.

I read this book immediately after Good Girl Complex and much preferred it to the first book in the series.

Gen and Even are a second chance romance story set in their own hometown. The fact that they reconnect in the same town made this book unique to me. Many second chance stories have a different setting. Instead, Gen is forced to return to her same hometown as a different person. Her hometown is where she’s been reckless and immature. She has to be her new self with the same influences and that was a really compelling storyline for me. We see most second chance romance MCs mature off page where as Gen and Evan endured their journeys on page throughout the entire book.

Evan and Gen are WILDLY immature at the beginning of the book and it irked me. Many readers have criticized this in other reviews, but their maturity journey was the entire point of the book. I didn’t enjoy them at the beginning… I don’t think I was supposed to… but I really, really liked how their story progressed.

Thank you to St. Martin’s press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my review!

4/5⭐️ 2.5/5 🌶

**I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review of the novel. My thoughts are my own and have not been influenced by any outside parties.**

Elle Kennedy’s Bad Girl Reputation is the perfect read if you want a quick charming and sexy second-chance romance.

When former bad girl Genevieve (Gen) returns to her hometown following her mother’s death, she is determined to maintain her new “good-girl” persona and stay away from those who encouraged her wild side. However, running into her ex-boyfriend Evan makes Gen question how much she really has changed, and if she even wants to.

Evan, Genevieve’s ex-boyfriend has spent the past year mourning the girl who left him behind with a string of parties and women. However, when the Gen suddenly comes back into his life, Evan realizes Gen’s homecoming may be the perfect opportunity to win back the girl he loves. But will she still want the town’s notorious “bad-boy," or has she left that part of herself behind?

This book was actually quite charming. The interactions between Gen and Evan were amusing, cute, and full of tension. I liked the push-and-pull dynamic between Gen and Evan. It was believable that they loved each other a lot, and had a certain level of history and trust. The writing style used by Kennedy was consistent with the style of the novel, and the dialogue matched the personalities of the characters.

The plot was fun and engaging, and easy to read. There were moments of tension and stress, but nothing that made me so anxious I wanted to put down the book. I am not a fan of books where the main characters break-up for many chapters and it’s just awkward and tense, and this did not have a long drawn out separation which I was glad about.

It was a delight to watch Gen and Evan grow throughout the duration of the novel. Their respective transformations were a bit rapid, but not unbelievable. There were a lot of really sweet, cute, and funny moments throughout the book.

My main critiques are in two areas. I think Evan’s transformation was a bit too drastic and quick, especially when compared to Genevieve. Her character starts her journey into adulthood well before Evan, and yet they end in similar places.

Secondly, the ending of the book seemed a bit rushed. I was expecting a few more chapters, and suddenly I was at the epilogue. It felt a bit like Kennedy ran out of story and just decided to end it there.

Overall, the book was quite enjoyable. It was well-paced, romantic, funny and sweet. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a light summer rom-com, or those who like Emily Henry’s work. While this book is the second Avalon Bay novel, it can easily be read as a standalone.


Characters: 3.5/5
Romance:4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

I loved Mac and Cooper from Good Girl Complex and was excited to continue the journey with the other characters in the series. Especially Evan. We didn’t see much of Gen in book one other than implication that she existed.

The book begins with Gen and Evan broken up, but hung up on eachother. They spend most of the book finding more reasons to be apart than together and finding themself along the way.

There were parts of this story I absolutely hated (characters I despised). Then there was Riley. A great addition to showcase Evan’s growth.

Overall, Bad Girl Reputation is a good addition to the series.

Arc received from NetGalley.

i really tried with this one. i loved the deal by elle kennedy but that’s honestly where my love for her books ended. i decided to give her another go with this one, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

i couldn’t really connect with the characters at all and honestly all there interactions felt forced. I’ve also concluded that second chance romance is not my thing. overall the spice was good & was honestly the only thing I liked. the writing style definitely needs work. overall I did not hate it but I didn’t like it. meh 2.5/5 stars

Bad Girl Reputation has the charm, organization and chemistry that was lacking from the first novel.

As the second book of the series, the story follows Cooper's twin, Evan, and his ex-girlfriend, Genevieve. This is a second-chance romance that ties up some plot holes and undeveloped concepts mentioned in the first book. Everything that happened to the individual characters seemed to have a purpose, where nothing felt out of place. I was not bored reading through it. I was intrigued.

Evan and Genevieve are both individually strong characters. They have their own struggles but they have their own self-determination that makes the story worth reading. It's a relatable concept in which they realize that they can't continue to live their lives like how they always have. There has to be change if they are expected to grow up and have a future- whether that is together or not.

An honorary mention for this book is the banter that occurs throughout their friends group. There were moments where I actually found myself chuckling at their comments. It felt realistic and relatable.

Overall, I enjoyed this book as it improves everything that the first book failed at. I finished this book wanting to learn more about the town of Avalon Bay. It's a nice summer read.

I haven’t read any other Elle Kennedy books, but I have heard really good things about their writing. This one was alright, definitely not amazing, but I think I’d still like to give Elle Kennedy another try.

I feel that the issue that I had with this one was that both of the MCs were unlikable. That made it difficult to care about them deeply. There were also a LOT of side characters, a ton of siblings, a twin from the last book, a bunch of friends, etc. I feel like I was drowning in people with no real substance. Cooper is one of the ones I remember, mostly because he seemed to be an absolute asshole.

This is such a good series if you just want something where you can sit back, relax, turn off your brain, and just enjoy some messy characters trying their best to make their way through relationships.

I've seen the less-than-stellar reviews for this and, yes, the characters are immature and don't act rationally. But that honestly didn't bother me because I could see their slow progression and development. It's not massive, but it's there, and that's personally enough for me with this kind of story.

I enjoyed the connection between Gen and Evan. Is it mainly physical? Sure. But it doesn't really promise to be anything more than that and I could totally understand why they are so attracted to each other. Their chemistry is top notch.

So again, if you are looking for a quick, entertaining read to help you avoid your own problems, then this is the one for you! lol.

Elle Kennedy does it again! This book was beyond incredible and a breath of fresh air. It's so refreshing to see a couple work through their toxic and immature relationship TOGETHER. Romance novels have a tendency to label a previously rocky relationship as dead in the water and use it as an example to compare the hero or heroine's new (amazing) relationship with. Bad Girl Reputation does what I believe more books should strive towards - showing the ups and downs of an established relationship and how the main characters decide to mature together for the sake of their love. It was real. It was honest. It was an easy 5-star read.

I can't wait to get my hands on the paperback and add Genevieve and Evan to my shelf! Thank you for allowing me to be an early reader of this fantastic read!

I'm wavering between a 3 and a 4, so I think I'll settle on a solid 3.5.

There's no doubt that this book is better than the first one in the series. "Bad Girl Reputation" stars Evan and Genevieve, two lovestruck teens with a wild streak and a will they/wont they relationship. One thing that makes Evan and Gen so compelling is the depth of their characters. They are both flawed and looking for a sense of direction and purpose in life. What makes this book worthwhile is watching them grow as individuals as well as in their relationship.

I've never been a second chance romance fan, but lately I think this trope is really working for me. There's just something very sweet about watching two people who know each other so well coming back together. The pining pays off more when you know how much love has been built up over time. It makes the reunion all the more worthwhile because they have overcome something to be together again.

I also really like the way we could see relationships build from the first book. Unfortunately, Cooper and Mac were still not great. BUT, it was really cool to see how the relationships have evolved between some of the side characters and Shelly.

There were a few things that didn't work for me. First, I thought the beginning of this book was outrageously slow. I don't know if there was something wrong with my attention span or what, but it took me so long to get into it. At the 50% mark, I was waiting for something to happen. It felt like we were going in the same circles over-and-over until the plot really got going. The last half of the book I really enjoyed, but that first 50% felt a bit like pulling teeth.

I also really did not care for the main antagonist. It felt like an easy target, and I maybe would've liked to see a more intricate plot point. I mean a man on a power trip? It just feels predictable to me. Honestly, I don't think the book even really needed him. I think it would've been enough to have Gen and Evan face the challenge of growing up and changing for themselves, without the looming presence of you-know-who.

Overall, this book was the better of the two Avalon Bay books. I think Evan and Gen are a really great couple and I was happy to read about the two of them and their relationship journey. However, this series as a whole has failed to impress me and remains incredibly underwhelming, so I don't think I would read another if a 3rd book comes out. I think if you're a fan of the author and like YA (even though this book was NOT YA content-wise, it just had a YA-feel), you would be pleased with this book. Check it out, give it a read, and see for yourself!

I have a good instinct that I will love Genevieve and Evan’s push-pull, angsty, in-out relationship more than Evan’s twin Cooper and Mackenzie’s story! I was so right! Gevan ( that’s how I named them) is explosive! Their attraction is not palpable! It’s on fire! So hot, so intense, so tempting!

Gen returns back to Avalon Bay she’s left without saying goodbye to Evan. They were childhood sweethearts: okay I’m correcting because nothing is so sweet about their relationship dynamics: their explosive chemistry, nonstop fighting, throwing tantrums, jealousy attacks and makeup sex is the pattern of their on-off relationship status for years. They’re a little toxic, volatile! They are even bad for each other but they cannot help themselves. It’s impossible for them to stay away from each other as well!

Gen understands clearly she’s in deep trouble after hitting the rock bottom. So leaving the town to find an appropriate job and loft at Charleston, keeping her sobriety, staying away from her addiction; Evan. But her mother’s sudden death forces her come back to her home, helping her dad’s business, spending a few months in town till her father finds another manager.

Evan learns the real traumatic reason why Gen left and why she’s so adamant to stay away from him. Even his twin brother Cooper thinks Gen brings out the worst of Evan, but he is completely wrong! Gen is trying too hard to leave her bad girl reputation behind, growing up, taking responsibilities, taking care of her family.

If Evan wants to get back the girl he’s lusting for years, he has to get his act together, learning to be mature. Could his plan work? They are like a dynamite together! Could they slow down and act like grownups to form less toxic more devoted relationship?

Let’s not forget a decent guy named Harrison also tries too hard to take his girl out of his hands! Could Evan let her girl ride into the sunset with another guy! No way! Game on!

I enjoyed this angsty, fiery, powerful story a lot! Gen’s brothers and Riley are my favourite supporting characters!

Gen was tough cookie! I loved her smart, determined and confident attitude! Evan was a little jerk at the beginning but his determination to take back his girl earned him several brownie points!

"What I figured out a long time ago is there's nothing that bleaches thoughts of Genevieve out of my head. She's woven into the fabric. I can't rip her out without tearing myself apart."

I really liked the first book in this series (Good Girl Complex) but dare I say I love this one even more?! Genevieve and Evan are fire and tension and everything I wanted in a spicy romance. Im also a huge sucker for a romance between characters who grew up together... all that shared history and deep knowledge of each other. As the author notes in the acknowledgements, Genevieve and Evans story is one of redemption, forgiveness and second chances. They're the story of "what happens when the party girl and the bad boy grow up". 5 stars from me!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

I tried to stick this out and finish, because I had high hopes but unfortunately I decided to DNF this book

*possible spoilers ahead*

I’m not sure if I missed the age of characters in the beginning of the book, but initially when reading I thought this was a high school couple until they began mentioning their memories in high school…. These characters are both unreliable and immature and I just couldn’t connect with them at all. Once they began to think about rekindling their romance, I wasn’t rooting for them to find a way to work it.

I might have just gone into this book with high expectations because I’ve heard so many good things about Elle Kennedy, but I am looking forward to reading some more of her work!

I really really liked this book. I loved the off campus series by Elle Kennedy so I was really excited to read this avalon bay series as well.

This book was just such a fun read that I did not want to put down. I loved the setting of it and getting to see all the characters interact with each other and develop made me so happy.

I loved Evan and Genevieve together and getting to see them find their way back together as well as getting to see more of Cooper and Mac.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who liked the off campus series because you get that feeling of all the characters being friends with each other.

I love the writing of Elle Kennedy. I think my main struggle with this book was caused by the first one ( Good Girl Complex) and the struggle there was because she kind of wrote Evan off as the goofy-no- direction-twin, so it was hard to see him as the love interest. I did find that Gen was an easy character to love. To watch her character grow was awesome.

I have been giving romance books more of a try this summer, but this one just didn’t work me for. I found that the characters were not likable, the dialogue was too forced, and i’ve learned that second chance romances are not really my thing.

I enjoyed the spice within the book and how the author describes places/objects within the book. if you enjoy romance then by all means, read this book! i am just not a focused romance lover

I truly loved this story. I always love Elle Kennedys books but something about this one really stuck out to me. I love that both Evan and Genevieve have similar hardships and that they both find a better life for themselves both individually and then as a couple. I loved seeing the growth in both of these characters. I also love that for Evan she was literally at there is no one else and his soul focuses on her I really enjoy stories like that. I love that this story was less plot motivated and more character development driven.

Things I loved:
-Second Chance Romance
-Witty Banter
-Character Growth
-Forgiveness and Redemption are key themes
-series follows a friend group, so lots of interaction outside of 2 MC bubble

I liked Cooper and Macs story but this story topped it. I 100% recommend this book.

I can’t wait to see if there are more Avalon Bay Stories! 🥰

I liked Evan and Genevieve's story more than Mac and Cooper's. Though, it did take a bit longer to get into the story overall. I'm not usually the biggest fan of second chance romance but by the end I was satisfied. With the series as a whole so far it is very surface level. There isn't much depth in the storyline or characters. This also could be read as a standalone novel.