4 ⭐️
Definitely grateful that I read this after Good Girl Complex, which is a kind of like a prequel?? about Mac and Cooper's romance that appears again in this book. I wish I could've seen more of that relationship in this book. I low key really loved Gen and Evan's romance. It's like a childhood lovers to second chance romance? but Gen is also dating this other guy. I also really like Evan and Riley's relationship which was really hilarious but also showed a different part of Evan. Some of the side characters were fucking bitches but others were good. Also it felt like some side plots were just forgotten for like part of the book (was also like this in good girl complex). I also really like how we get to see Evan and Coop's mother really grow and develop (kind of) after stealing all of Coop's life savings.

Thank you Netgalley and Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bad Girl Reputation is the second book in the Avalon Bay Series, after Good Girl Complex. The book follows Genevieve and Evan after Gen ghosted Evan a year ago. Exes from high school with a turbulent relationship, the story is all about redemption, change, and figuring out adult life after living as the party girl and bad boy.
I loved the personalities of the MC’s and the dual POV allows you to see both sides of the story. There were plenty of times that I laughed out loud at their banter and thoughts. Evan, even though he’s the “bad boy” is such a sweetheart, but when it comes to Gen he very much embodies the “touch her and you’ll die” 🥵 I also love Gen’s take-no-shit attitude. She’s definitely one of my new favorite female MC’s, and her path to finding herself is very relatable. You also get glimpses of Mac and Cooper from the first book!
While I loved the characters, I felt the story jumped around a lot and it made it a little difficult for me to be fully sucked into it. I also felt the pacing was a little rushed towards the end. However, the character development definitely makes up for it!
If you like redemption stories, some spicy scenes, heated banter between exes, and a sweet yet exciting love story you’ll love Bad Girl Reputation.

3.75/5⭐️
2/5🌶

“𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘷𝘢𝘯, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩, 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

Bad Girl Reputation is the second book in the Avalon Bay series. This story follows Genevieve, who recently returned to town after a year away with no word, and Evan—her heartbroken ex boyfriend—as they’re reunited and attempt a second chance at love.

This was a quick, easy and enjoyable read! I loved getting to revisit Avalon Bay, and being with the characters from Good Girl Complex again. The story started off fast with Genevieve (Gen) returning to town for her mothers funeral, and we immediately got a taste of the turbulent dynamic between her and Evan. I loved that it followed the first book and was told in dual POV. Elle Kennedy does a great job of writing interesting and relatable characters, and Gen and Evan were no exception.

“𝘐’𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵. 𝘛𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵.”
I feel like I resonated the most with Gen’s character, and I felt her struggle throughout the book with going sober, trying to stay out of trouble and getting her life in order. I loved her journey with shedding her ‘bad girl reputation’, and how strong she was when facing every conflict. The constant push and pull with Evan was frustrating at times, but I really did like her character growth and watching her learn to respect herself more.

“𝘚𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐’𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴.”
I felt very sorry for Evan while reading this book. He was extremely heartbroken and lost after Gen skipped town, and when she returned it seemed like he was stuck in the past and was only interested in picking up where they left off. I was somewhat disappointed with Evan’s story at first because it felt like he was only attempting to “change” in order to get Gen back, and not because he himself wanted to, or even thought he needed to. But by the end, he was woken up to the fact that he can’t be the “bad boy” forever, and needs to take responsibility for his life.

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱.”
Due to the nature of the main characters conflicts (sobriety, relationship toxicity etc) I found their pairing less cute, and at times quite bleak, in comparison to Good Girl Complex. However, I did still enjoy reading Evan and Gen navigate their growing pains and figuring out how to fit into each other’s lives again after so much time apart, and with so much left unsaid. I think they felt very real as characters and this story would speak to a lot of people.

***ending spoilers***
I am not the biggest fan of them getting engaged at the end (but this is obviously a personal thing and doesn’t reflect on the quality of the story). I would’ve preferred them to try dating again, since they were becoming ‘new people’ and I think it would’ve felt cuter to me for them to begin anew. But, I will say the sentimental way Gen proposed was extremely adorable, and it’s obvious they are endgame, so the engagement does work for the story—I’m sure lots of people will love the ending!!

1. I wish we read more about their past. I want to know more about Evan and Gen and the havoc they caused as kids, how their love developed
2. I really loved Evan. He tried to see things how Gen was (or how he thought she was) by reforming himself to be more 'good' but Gen sometimes annoyed me. I thought Evan was trying hard and she just couldn't see it... or refused
3. When Evan handed that little girl the sea horse to paint, I melted into a puddle.
4. One think I love about Elle Kennedy, she knows how to write a swoon worthy man 😅
5. The story was sweet, a second chance at romance and redemption. I just could NOT connect with Gen. I thought she was unlikable and sometimes got on my nerves. I felt I understood and was rooting for Evan the entire time. He was trying so hard to win over Gen but I he kept coming up short.
6. The story itself felt rushed.

Overall, I will give this a 3.25. This is the lowest I have EVER rated an Elle Kennedy book. I couldn't connect with Gen at all. I felt bad for Evan for over 80% of the book. I enjoyed the smut and I love a second chance at romance. I also love Elle Kennedys writing style which is why I gave it the rating I did. I was a fan of Good Girl Complex (even though it had mixed feelings I enjoyed it). But this one didn't hit the mark.

I absolutely loved this book. I'll admit in the beginning I did think Gen and Evan were kinda toxic but as I kept reading I was glad to see the growth between them as individuals and as a couple. Overall I rate it 4/5 stars.

I truly loved this book, it was even better than Good Girl Complex! The drama was better in this one and I loved the second chance romance, I don’t read that type of book often enough. Evan and Gen were great, I loved seeing their journey of forgiveness and redemption. This was a quick read and I enjoyed it very much!

Lets be clear I am a person who always finishes a book something about not finishing a book bothers me way too much.

But this one to be honest was very hard to get through and I considered not finishing it several times but decided to continue reading just in case it would get better and spoiler alert it didn't happen.

Genevieve and Evan were not easy people to love or feel connected to at all, I just could not find myself caring for them at all. They were so toxic not only together but individually and it seemed to never get better and there wasn't that much character growth.

Overall, this is not a book I would reread or recommend.

Elle Kennedy is a great author but this book missed the spot.

‘Bad Girl Reputation’ combines beach read vibes with some super intriguing trope subversions.

Town bad girl Genevieve West left unexpectedly one day, leaving her best friend slash boyfriend, Evan, behind. A year later she returns, for her mother’s funeral, and Evan Hartley demands answers. Their chemistry is still there in spades, but Gen is determined to leave the bad girl behind and finally grow up. The question is whether or not Evan is willing or able to do the same.

This novel defied my expectations as a second book in a series, and unfolded in a completely unexpected manner. The way in which author Elle Kennedy plays with tropes in this story is very interesting. Evan and Gen are presented in a certain way and then defy the reader’s expectations at every turn. It is such an interesting spin on childhood friends to lovers, and I enjoyed the way that Kennedy presents a modernly masculine male protagonist who isn’t afraid to shake up traditional gender roles.

There will be times where you want to slap both main characters upside the head, but the ending makes it all worth it. And fans of the Avalon Bay series will not be disappointed. I hope there are even more books to come in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a nice read about forgiveness, growth and love. We follow the relationship of gen and evan, and I liked how their growth from being troublemakers was actually realistic and not super weird or unmanageable for people. It made the story more exciting and enjoyable; the chemistry between Gen and Evan was also unmatched. a nice, charming read!

thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc of this book.

Elle Kennedy books are very bingeable. I will say I preferred book 1 over this one. I felt like I didn’t get to know Evan and Genevieve as well as I felt like I needed to know them to really feel for their past and their relationship. I did overall enjoy the book, the second chance at not only love but redemption for themselves. I appreciated that change had to come from them individually and not through each other. It has a couple of steamy scenes that were enjoyable!

ARC REVIEW

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy of Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy
Release date: October 4, 2022
4 star


Bad Girl Reputation is the second book in the Avalon Bay series, the first being Good Girl Complex. I actually already own Good Girl Complex but haven’t read it yet which is how I know they both can be read as a standalone. Bad Girl Reputation focuses on Evan Hartley and Genevieve West - two exes with a turbulent but passionate history. Gen returns home for her mother’s funeral and is ready for a new path in life: no drinking, no partying, and no more Evan Hartley. Evan on the other hand knows that he and Gen can be good together, he just has to prove it to her, even if that means turning over a new leaf himself.

This is the second Elle Kennedy book I’ve read, the first being The Deal from her Off-Campus series, and I liked this one a lot more. I started reading this on an incredibly humid day, iced coffee in hand, and Kennedy pulled me right into Avalon Bay with all its drama, past and present, lingering heavily in the air. A major theme throughout this book is second chances, redemption, and forgiveness, which I loved a lot. I loved the way Gen and Evan grew and worked to shed their bad reputations without losing themselves. They have great banter, a strong history, and immense love for each other. It’s the perfect Kennedy writing style - a lot of fun, a bit of spice, and the right amount of drama and romance to keep you engrossed from the first page. The ending seems to be set up for a third Avalon Bay book which I am all for, just as soon as I read the first one!

I've been a huge fan of Elle Kennedy since I picked up the Off Campus Series on a whim last year and fell in love! Her newest series is no different. I was super lucky and got an ARK from Netgalley and finished it in one sitting. The romance was great as always and there was the perfect amount if humor. All in all I though it was a great sequel and I hope there's another installment with perhaps Alana’s love triangle?

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am not a big fan of second chance romances but I gave this one a shot. It was fine, but predictable. I hadn't read the first either so thst could be part of why I wasn't very invested.

Second book of the series. First person present. It’s a second chance romance, but the characters feel a bit generic. There is also no discussion of TW including sexual assault and substance misuse which can be very triggering to readers.

I liked the book so much I just hated the fact that she wasn’t together with Evan anymore even though they broke up but you can still see them every time they see each other again that they break up to have make up sex. And their relationship was just destructive but deep down she and he still cared for each other, I didnt like when his twin would try to tell her to stop seeing him an be rude to her. Some of the characters were okay, thank you netgalley for giving me this arc! 5 stars

Together Evan and Gen are toxic. They bring out the absolute worst in each other... or at least they did before Gen’s sudden departure from Avalon Bay without telling Evan. The death of her mom brings her back to town and like magnets they are pulled back to each other. This time Gen is determined not fall back into the same cycle.

I’m used to romance novels, even Kennedy’s previous works, depicting a “bad” boy/girl who falls for a “good” girl/boy. I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance where both are “bad” for each other. Let me tell you, I believe Kennedy’s writing because part-way through I was still hoping they both got their HEAs with other people. 

This is another solid Elle Kennedy book. It is everything you come to her books expecting: contemporary new adult romance, complex characters, flirtatious dialogue, a compelling reason the characters can’t be together, and an open-door romance.

It was interesting to watch how both characters evolved, first because they had to but then how the drive to change came from within. 

Characters from the first book do make appearances in this story, including Mack and Cooper. The latter of which lost a lot of appeal viewing him from Evan and Gen’s perspectives.

Also, now after reading, I want a blow pop (no that isn’t a euphemism) but IYKYK.

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

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advance copy!

I so enjoyed heading back into Avalon Bay to spend more time with the Hartley brothers! In February, I read The Good Girl Complex, which is the companion novel to this story. Like the first novel, this story exudes all of the Outer Banks vibes that I love so much!

I really enjoyed Evan Hartley’s character in Good Girl Complex, so I was excited to go on his journey in this novel! Elle Kennedy’s writing pulls me in every time, I can never get enough. I hope there are more Avalon Bay novels in the future!

Evan Hartley isn’t quite the same after his longtime love left town a year ago, with no word as to why. Gen, Evan’s long time love, returns to town unexpectedly. She’s not who she used to be, but neither is he. We find out what made Gen leave, and how Gen and Evan fit together after all this time!

This was such a fun, easy and sexy read! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press/St.Martin’s Griffin for sharing this advanced reader digital copy with me for an honest review of the book.

When I first saw the book all I could see was that it was written by Elle Kennedy one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all of her books starting with The Deal which created my love for her books. When I saw that Bad Girl Reputation was written by her I requested it immediately not even knowing what it was about. Originally I believed it was a standalone but I soon found out that it was the second book which was even better for me because I got to read Good Girl Complex which was a fantastic read.

This book is about Evan and Gen’s story. Evan is Copper’s twin brother who we learn about in the first book but we also learn that he has a long, possibly toxic, relationship with Gen. In the first book we have some background about the characters but not much. When starting to read this book we get to see in both Evan’s and Gen’s perspectives. Gen comes back into town for a funeral and stays to helps her family deal with the loss. While she’s back in town she runs into Evan a few times but tells him that they both need to change and grow up in order to consider being together again.

I loved reading this book because you could see Evan’s character development throughout this book and how different he is from the way he acted in Good Girl Complex. Gen on the other hand is a surprising character because we learn about her in the first book but not enough to form a direct opinion of her since we don’t have her side of the story.

This is a great read, especially if your a big fan of Elle Kennedy’s books. I even say that you could possibly read this book as a potential standalone since they tend to go over a quick summary throughout the book of who some of the other characters are and the roles they play in Gen’s and Evan’s lives. However, I don’t recommend reading it as a standalone because then you would miss out on Evan’s character development and Mac and Cooper’s amazing love story.

This was a great book and a fantastic read. Elle Kennedy never disappoints!!

I am sad to say Bad Girl Reputation was not one of my favorite books by Elle Kennedy. I have been a long time fan of her books since I first read The Deal. I found it hard to connect with the characters and felt Evan and Gene had a very toxic relationship. Hopefully her next book will have more character depth like her previous book series.

Elle Kennedy, author of the bestselling book "Good Girl Complex", is back with another fun and steamy novel called "Bad Girl Reputation." This book centers around high school sweethearts and on-again/off-again couple Gen and Evan. When Gen has to return home for her Mom's funeral, she runs into Evan and the sparks fly like always. Evan, having been left behind when Gen left for a new career, is still upset but can't deny their chemistry. However, old habits die hard and they both have to gain some maturity and perspective in order to have any hopes of making their relationship successful.

I have to be honest that I didn't really enjoy Gen and Evan at the beginning of the book. They were both immature and their relationship seemed toxic. However, I appreciate the growth they both showed and how they were willing to leave bad habits behind in order to improve themselves.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own