I enjoyed my trip back to Avalon Bay for the wild relationship of Genevieve West and Evan Hartley. They have a long history of romance, recklessness, and trouble.

Gen returns back home after her mom passes away. She had left Avalon Bay a year prior without saying goodbye to Evan and it nearly tore him apart. While home, Gen has decided she needs to turn her life around. She wants to curb the drinking and partying and most importantly, she wants to stay away from Evan. But there is just too much history, too much chemistry, and too much love between them that this proves extremely difficult. Evan also decides it’s time to get his life together as he knows Gen deserves a better man. He sets out to to make these changes and justify his worth.

I have to say, I didn’t particularly care for either of these characters in the beginning of the book. They grew on me as the story developed and I watched the actual changes taking place. The bad boy/bad girl persona was definitely not very flattering on these characters and I was happy to witness their growth, their second chances, and their redemption. It was a story about not letting your past define your future and having confidence in yourself to become a better person.

I enjoyed the characters, the banter, the inner conflicts and the struggle and hardships of friendships and family. Evan and Gen both travel a long way back to each other…the destination not measured in miles but in change and a new way of seeing things. I enjoyed their journey.

Not sure what it is about this series. but it unexpectedly surprises me each time. As a secret romance book lover and reader of over 100 of them a year, I feel that are very few that manage to stand out when majoirity have the same tropes. Bad Girl Reputation was adorable though. I loved the characters and they were very authentic and enjoyable. The relationship and history between the two was perfect and really enjoyed this one. Highly recommend.

Unfortunately, Elle Kennedy can’t seem to learn from past mistakes and stop writing thinly-veiled racism within her books. I definitely think this story had a ton of potential, but it fell flat in so many ways. The characters didn’t have much chemistry unfortunately, which is a bit of a shock because I think what the author does well in their back catalog is dialogue.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy. Elle Kennedy is one of my favorite authors. This was a second chance romance that I loved!

The second installment in the series. This book focuses on Cooper's twin Evan and his on and off girlfriend Genevieve. A steamy story of second chances. This fiery relationship was so fun to read about. It was so nice to get more insight into who Genevieve is. I have to say I liked her a lot more than I thought I would. We learn so much more about their past relationship in this book. It really makes you feel for these characters and what they're going through when they cross paths again.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love this author so much! Her books always draw me in immediately and leave me satisfied when they’re over. This was such a good story about two people who seem wrong and toxic for each other but just fit. It had a great story and kept me entertained.

This was not my favorite. I found myself struggling to finish it because the redemption of the characters seemed too unbelievable.

3.5 rounded to 4⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC for an unbiased review.

First of all, I LOVED Good Girl Complex. I read it as an ARC as well, and was a BIG fan, so I was SUPER excited to read Bad Girl Reputation early.

It was an easy and enjoyable read. I liked Gen and Evan as individual characters. I don't want to give spoilers on this review, but I will just say that I did feel that their relationship was a bit scattered. That may just be my personal preference because the constant push-and-pull relationships are not my favorite (although I knew what I was getting into, so that's on me).

HOWEVER, I did enjoy seeing Cooper and Mackenzie again! And it made me LOL several times, which I greatly appreciated. I also enjoyed their personal growth...even among side characters (one in particular - no spoilers).

If you enjoy small-town, second-chance, back-and-forth relationships, this is the book for you!

I liked Good Girl Complex and I REALLY liked Bad Girl Reputation. Bad Police characters always make me mad in books because I happen to be married to one and that stereotype really sucks for the many many ones in real life that don’t play the “rules for thee and not for me” card or treat people like crap. NEVERTHELESS, I powered through and was happy with how it played out in the end.

All of the characters introduced in this book really do find some amazing second chances & redemption in ways I was happy for. Sometimes I read books to make myself uncomfortable, sometimes it’s to learn & sometimes it’s just because I need a good ol happy ending and some laughs in between. That was this. 👏🏼


Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Bad Girl Reputation was a quick, fun read. Though it was better than Good Girl Complex, the first book in the Avalon Bay series by Elle Kennedy, it still left me wanting. I loved Kennedy’s Off Campus series and this new series just leaves me wanting the way those hockey superstars never did.

This book is the second book in the series and follows Evan Hartley, yes, the very same Hartley of the bad boy Hartley twins, and his runaway ex-girlfriend Genevieve West. Genevieve is back after her mother’s funeral and Evan is bound to win her back while Gen is determined to shuck her bad girl reputation and to do that, she must avoid Evan.

While the story left me wanting a bit the setting is beautiful and had me wanting to take a seashore vacation. The Hartley twins are hot in their bad boy attitudes and the way they love their women, I’ll give them that. The relationship between Evan and Cooper has its ups and downs but ultimately, they always have each other’s backs but what I really enjoy is the relationship between Mac (Cooper’s girlfriend) and Evan and how she tries to be there as a friend for Evan.

If you’re a fan of The Outer Banks and Ana Todd’s After series than you would probably enjoy this book/series. Even though this is a standalone I do suggest reading Good Girl Complex first since you meet important characters in it.

Elle Kennedy is easily one of my favorite authors, so I had high expectations for this book. Once again, I was not disappointed. I loved Mac and Cooper, but honestly… Even stole my heart. His love for Gen is so pure despite their past, and he truly would do anything to see her thrive. One of my favorite book boyfriends for sure. Will continue reading anything this author releases!

Elle Kennedy has done it again. Bad Girl Reputation had me hooked the entire time. Gen and Evan’s push and pull relationship kept me engaged throughout the entire story. I wish we got a few more stories from when they were younger, but I still think this was a good, engaging read.

3.5 stars

I was so excited to have gotten accepted for this book on NetGalley since I enjoyed Good Girl Complex so much, the first book of this series! In this book, the MC is Evan, Cooper's twin from the first book, and Genevieve.

This book is a second chance romance that also deals with changing and growing up. Generally, it was enjoyable and a all round solid book. I just wasn't invested in the characters so much as I was the first book, but that's a me thing!

I'm interested to see if there will be more books in the series! I have a hunch that's a yes!

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the earc in return for an honest review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, St. Martin’s Press and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Awesome. Delightful. Wonderful. What a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel!

The Good: the stakes in this book felt higher than in the first book (Good Girl Complex) and it is nice to see Mac and Cooper continue their relationship from the sidelines in this sister sequel. Likewise, it was great to see a semi-toxic couple try and become better people. Gen leaves town after deciding she needs to get her life together and she can’t do that stuck in her old habits—and she does! She becomes a better, less self-destructive person.

The West family was entertaining, even if you don’t see a lot of them in the grand scheme of the book. Likewise, unlike Mac in the first book who struggles with her privileges and expectations placed upon her, but always has that safety net of money, it was nice to have a main character whose struggle was trying to defy an earned bad reputation—and trying hard at that.

The Bad: I had this issue with the first book, and it is shown even more in this novel, but the friends don’t actually seem to like each other. Between complicated (semi-incestuous) FWB situations and being a “bitch” just so their sexual partner doesn’t get too attached, you never get a sense of why this group of people spend time together. They spend more time sniping at each other and using each other to make their conquests jealous than…actually enjoying being friends? I miss the easy friendships of Off Campus and Briar U where it did not seem to be a competition for romantic prospects or perceived slights by friends.

Similarly, there are moments in the relationship between Gen and Evan where it comes off more co-dependant than healthy, even if they end off in a better place than they both began in the beginning of the novel.

The Complicated: I am trying to work out why I am not as comfortable in this world as I was in the authors’ previous series. Both contain young adults making bad decisions, drinking too much, drug use and risky behaviour, but something about seeing it outside of a 4-year college context feels dark to me. Without that time-line of graduation to potentially get people to “Adulthood,” there doesn’t seem to be much of a narrative path for these characters who don’t expect much out of their own lives. This series feels darker than the authors other college-age series for that reason.

Overall, I liked this novel much more than the first in the series, and look forward to the next.

Bad Girl Reputation is the second book in the Avalon Bay series. I read the first book Good Girl Complex and I have to say I enjoyed this second book a lot more.
This story follows Genevieve West who has just returned home for her mother's funeral after leaving town to go "grow up". When she left town she left behind her boyfriend Evan Harley. Now that she's back home she is navigating how to integrate herself back into life around her friends, family and Evan.
If you enjoy second chances, small town romances, character growth, and heroes that only have eyes for the heroine I think you'll love this one.

This series is very fun. Don’t love the push and pull trope, so this book wasn’t as enjoyable as the first. The chemistry between the characters is extra steamy tho!

I really loved the second chance romance story of Genevieve and Evan. I did feel like their relationship was a little based on sex and didn't love that multiple times throughout the book Evan commented on the bodies/looks of other women, it felt like even though he obviously loved Gen, he still had eyes for others. I also felt like the conflict resolution at the end didn't make total sense. He felt he was bad for her, she said she loved him and they get engaged. It didn't make a ton of sense to me how quickly they got back together without even really discussing the fact that he said a few pages before she seemed depressed. Overall, I loved the story and their chemistry, just felt like a few stories within the book could have gone deeper.

Bad Girl Reputation is the sequel to Good Girl Complex. It features Genevieve and Evan, two exes, and their second chance at love.

Evan comes off as very immature to me and kind of a try hard, to be honest. The back and forth games between him and Gen do not work for me. I read on further into the book and I still really dislike Evan. He’s immature and rude and downright disrespectful when he shows up at Gen’s date.

Gen herself is fine, as far as a main character goes. She has a lot on her plate and she’s managing it sober, which is new for her but she seems successful. I was slightly annoyed that she had a glass of wine at dinner with Harrison—why would she do that if her sobriety is so important to her? And she’s so strong-willed. It just seemed out of character for her.

The story wrapped up nicely with a solid happily ever after, but this still wasn’t a great book for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and, by extension, with the story. 3/5 for me.

I may have never read anything by Elle Kennedy before, but I can promise you this won't be my last read of hers! It did take me a minute to get into the story and connect with the characters, but once I did it was impossible to put the book down! Thank goodness for easy dinners, because I read this straight through until after bedtime! Evan and Gen are endgame y'all, and I'm in love! See y'all on another page!