everybody in this book is pretty toxic lol, these two are probably better off not together but i guess it's fine

I have so many feelings about this book. I usually devour anything Elle Kennedy writes but I felt like it took me forever to read Good Girl Complex. So when I saw this one was coming out I really had high hopes for it.

I love a second chance romance, but I just felt like Evan and Gen kept mentioning how toxic their relationship was and it had me questioning if I even wanted them to be together. By the end, you kinda realize that they both had a ton of growing up to do and once they did it they're good together but idk.

I definitely think I liked it more than Good Girl Complex though, so I'm glad I got the chance to read it!

Thank you, Elle Kennedy, St.Martins Press, & Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy!!

Bad Girl Reputation, the second book in the Avalon Bay series, was a sentimental story of forgiveness, personal growth, and second chances, both for the individual and for others. As someone that did not read Good Girl Complex, the first book in the Avalon Bay series, I can say with ease that this book can be read as a standalone.

While I appreciate that both Genevieve and Evan had flaws, it seemed as though their character development was abrupt and lacking where there was potential. It's implied that both characters struggled with mediating their alcohol and drug consumption, yet we don't see in enough depth the struggle they go through when being presented with these substances. Being as it was an essential point to the plot, I would've appreciated it if the author personified the dilemma more; established it as a defining character moment. That being said, I truly wasn't rooting for Genevieve and Evan to end up together. Their romance seemed to do more harm than good.

As for the supporting characters, I saw Cooper as a man with fragile masculinity, making him unbearable to read about. He was abrasive and judgmental to the core. I suppose he must be an acquired taste though. Mac, his girlfriend, though slightly more bearable, was still intolerable at times. She had this need to protect Cooper by fighting his battles for him. It was giving very much, "Don't worry, I can change him." Never a good look. Trust me, it isn't worth it.

In regards to everyone else mentioned in the story, I personally feel as though there were too many people to keep track of. There was Harrison, the man Genevieve was seeing alongside Evan; Riley, Evan's Little Brother, Riley's Aunt whose name I can never remember, all of Genevieve's siblings, only two who are mentioned somewhat often throughout the book's entirety, and Evan's Mom, Shelley. Don't even get me started on all of Genevieve's friends and their love interests. I understand that the author's vision is to build upon these characters later on in the series, however, if a clear foundation isn't established at the beginning of the book/series, it becomes more difficult for readers to become emotionally invested.

I've never read any of Elle Kennedy's previous work, therefore there is nothing to compare Bad Girl Reputation to, though I wish I could tell you whether or not this was an improvement from Good Girl Complex. What I did notice was that there was a lot of telling rather than showing. It was always, "I told him this" or, "She told me that." While the word choice was a little too volatile at times, the drama, angst, and banter contributed to the burning tension between our protagonists, Genevieve and Evan.

It seemed as if there wasn't a main plot, just branches of sub-plot that the characters floated between. There were no consistent elements for the readers to hold onto. It seemed as though the author would start a storyline that would lead to one place, forget about it, and then remember to build onto it more than halfway through. Once again, going back to the character development, the plot was rushed and seemed anticlimactic, especially the ending. I was disappointed being as Genevieve's proposal was one of my favorite scenes. In my opinion, the author could've also developed the Hartley reunion into something more than it was. The mother-son relationship between Shelley and Evan was a sweet one and I wish we could've seen it come more to fruition.

There was an overwhelming amount of serious topics presented in this novel, including but not limited to: problematic law enforcement, drug and substance abuse, sexual assault, and the passing of a loved one. Even if it was done with good intentions, I think the author should've chosen to write one topic and do it justice rather than trying to pack multiple triggering moments into less than 400 pages.

Overall, the writing held misogynistic and stereotypical undertones that earned it only three stars from me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with this ARC via Netgalley.

Bad Girl Reputation follows Genevieve who is back in town for her mom's funeral and to help the family get back on track. She tries very hard to keep her distance from her ex boyfriend Evan. Their relationship was filled with a lot of passion and a lot of drama. But it is hard for Genevieve to keep away from Evan since Avalon Bay is such a small town. Genevive is determined to help her dad and get out of Avalon Bay as soon as possible. But Evan has other ideas and is determined to show her that they are good together, and convince her to stay in Avalon Bay.

Elle Kennedy is one of my favorite authors, I love her books so much ( I think this was my 17th or 18th book I have read by her). So I freaked out when I got an ARC of this book. I loved this book so much. I liked how it had major call backs to Good Girl Complex and felt like it was a really good follow up book. I loved the push and pull of Genevieve's and Evan's relationship because that just made me want them to get together even more. This book, like the first one, has major Outer Banks vibes. I loved this book so much and I highly suggest it. Honestly, I suggest all of Elle Kennedy's books because they are all good. Also, ignore my bad photoshop of the cover I tried really hard lol. Thank you so much to Elle Kennedy, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC of this one.

There's something to be said about redemption and second chances ❣ Elle Kennedy showed us the power of love no matter the time or distance along with the ability to be the change who you want to be while remaining true to yourself 🌞 I enjoyed finally getting to see Evan and Genevieves stories since it was mentioned in the first book and to find out what happened and why it led to them being in their current situation. The dual POV is always a favorite of mine 😊 and liked seeing how they both handled each other while also learning more about themselves. The only two things keeping me from giving it a full 5 🌟 was the chemistry seemed to be dialed down when I was expecting it to run hot a lot more than it did, and the conversations weren't all there. I also, while respecting the ending, wish there had been more 🤏 I would have loved to read more about the hotel and where Cooper and MacKenzie ended up at along with Evan and Gens big day 🤍

All in all I really did enjoy it 👍 Elle Kennedy is one of my favorite authors and I am so thankful to @netgalley for giving me this chance to read and review.

The beginning of the book was so crass, that I couldn’t connect with or support the protagonist. It was hard for me to move past that and I couldn’t finish it.

4/5 stars!

This book is the second book within the Avalon Bay series that Elle Kennedy has. It follows along Evan, Cooper’s brother (the guy from the Good Girl Complex), and Genevieve, or Gen.

First off, this book was such a quick and fun read! The banter in this book and the tension/angst is *chef’s kiss.* I laughed so much while reading this book while also feeling so deeply for the characters. I feel as though a lot of books do not show a lot of character development. Most romcoms have the regular flow to the story as the meet cute, finally get together, third act issue, and then the resolution. This one follows alongside that plot line; however, I did not see the falling out the way it did coming and again…the character development throughout is so good. So often young adults are trying to discover who they truly as in this world and learning how to cope with their own baggage from trauma, and you see that through these two character.

Essentially, Evan and Gen are childhood best friends and junior high sweethearts. They are both considered the “bad” guy/girl. Something happens in Gen’s life in her 20s where she realizes she no longer wants to associate with her bad decisions and bad reputation, and she splits town without telling anyone…including Evan. Flash forward a year, and Gen returns to Avalon Bay and has to confront her past and see where she wants to go in life. This is such a good read! Please read this book to see what happens to Gen and Evan!

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this wonderful electronic advanced readers copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

After reading Good Girl Complex, I was so excited to see Evan get his story. The first book left you hanging on what the issues were with Evan and Genevieve. You did get some insight on their relationship, but I had no idea just how toxic it was. I’m not a huge fan of people getting their life in order ONLY when they think it will win someone back, but I did eventually come to really enjoy this book. I also really came to enjoy Shelly’s storyline. Less steamy than other books from this author, but still an overall good book.

dnf at 26% i really don't like elle kennedy's writing. this is the second book of hers i don't finish unfortunately. there's nothing special about it.

Elle Kennedy is seriously my go-to author for contemporary romance. Bad Girl Reputation went beyond my expectations by having palatable chemistry between two childhood best friends that love raising hell together - Evan and Gen. Throughout the story Gen is trying to break her bad girl tendencies and challenges Evan to do the same if he wants to be with her. Evan of course rises to the occasion and would do anything for Gen.

Ya'll the chemistry! Have a mentioned that yet? I loved both these characters and was rooting for their happily ever after.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not for me. It was a predictable rom-com and I did not enjoy it. It starts out with the
protagonist, Genevieve, returning to her hometown after disappearing for a year. She has all kinds of attitude and it all seems centered around a “boy”, Evan. They can’t keep their hands or minds each other, blah, blah, blah. Plot was awful, as were the cardboard characters.

This sequel was just as good if not better than the first. The town and characters of Avalon Bay are so great. Everything Elle Kennedy does it great and this is no exception.

I absolutely loved it elle did an amazing job. This story was exactly what I needed it to be. The characters from this book and series will stay with me forever!

Elle Kennedy’s books are always my favorites. I loved Bad Girl Reputation so much!

Leads Genevieve and Evan has such palpable chemistry right from the start and I enjoyed reading how their lives changed over the course of their relationship. Trying to overcome bad decisions in her past, Gen encourages Evan to do the same in an effort for them to mature individually so they can be better together. I loved all the familial relationships within the West family as well as between Evan and Cooper.

5 stars! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader’s copy.

Returning to Avalon Bay was like being reunited with old friends. I love a second chance romance story and Gen and Evan’s story checked all my boxes. I also loved seeing a sober main character. If anyone could attack demon’s head on, it’s Gen. I hope we see more of Gen and Mac in the future!

Well, this one was definitely better than Good Girl Complex (although that's not saying much, imo). I'm starting to feel like maybe I need to stop reading about characters in their early 20s... the older I get, the more annoyed I am with them a lot of the time. I didn't understand the infatuation Gen and Evan had with each other-- nothing felt new or fresh because everything was built on old memories they had that didn't match up with their new lives. Or if the memories did match up, they wanted the other person to change that about themselves, so why are you still in love with it? I don't know, it didn't flow well with me. I think I'm going to have to wait for Kennedy's next series and say goodbye to this one (if there are any more), because I don't enjoy this group of characters.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A delightful low stakes romance. Gen's sober journey was an interesting element that isn't usually discussed in this type of novel. My only gripe is that some of the conflict felt forced, which is a personal pet peeve.

Rating: 3/5
Warnings: Difficult Family Dynamics, Assault and Harassment
Steam: 3/5
Read If You Liked: Off Campus Series + Good Girl Complex

Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Bad Girl Reputation will be released on October 4th, 2022.

Oh the opportunities...This had the makings of a really amazing novel and while I did enjoy it, I felt it was missing a few things or at least a deep dive on subjects introduced.

Things I loved: The theme of second chances and forgiveness. Gen and Evan had amazing chemistry. Gen's Dad. Mac and Gen's budding friendship. Gen was so determined to change and I loved her confidence but also her vulnerability. I really loved that this was childhood friends to lovers, there is so much history with that dynamic.

Things I didn't care for: The games and just the toxic nature of their past relationship. The cop storyline. The lack of context beyond the surface level of their dynamics with their moms. So many freaking names of friends and brothers I could not keep track of who was who. Cooper and Evan's dynamic, my god you are freaking brothers act like it.

I absolutely love spending time in Avalon Bay. The second book of the series was just as wonderful as it's predecessor. There is a lot of baggage to unpack for these characters but Elle Kennedy unravels their story in an engaging, hilarious, and sexy way. All the characters lend themselves to this story providing a camaraderie readers can feel intimately involved in. There's a certain flair and comfortability to this setting that makes it so easy to relate to and want to be surrounded by.

And these two main characters. I can't even being to tell you how happy I am that their story was featured next in the series. After the build up and mystery to this couple Elle Kennedy sure delivered. The Hartley twins are some seriously GOOD bad boy heroes. I thought I loved Cooper but then I read Evan's story here. And let me tell you, Evan Hartley catapulted himself to the top of my "bad boy with a golden heart" list of favorites. The love story between he and Gen is tough and riddled with a crazy, intoxicatingly toxic but again, relatable past. But what unfolds in their present is just beautiful and honestly addicting. And really for me, Evan makes it so. I didn't want to put this down just to see where they end up.

Elle Kennedy pens good romance. That's all there is to it. Her writing is honest and true to her characters making them vibrantly vulnerable and charming and fun. There are so many lovely parts to this story for these characters where their distinct personalities just shine. It's funny and smart and romantic and true. It's a story of lost love, found again in a unique way. A story of redemption and second chances. A great love story. I hope we get much more from this author that revolves around this realm of Avalon Bay. It's a place I'll go back to again and again.

I honestly didn’t like good girl reputation so I’d not have high hopes of this and k was right really disappointed☹️