I liked this book more than the first in the series. Maybe it was more realistic and relatable since Evan and Gen were once a couple. Or maybe it's because I love a good second chance romance. Nonetheless, there were some cringe worthy, territory marking moments that were reminiscent of new adult personalities at the cusp between leaving the teenaged years behind and entering the adult world. Gen and Evan had their moments where it was anyone's guess if they would get back together. The title give insight to Gen's character who left town unexpected a year ago and has come back only because her mother passed. Evan has his own mother issues and he's built a tenuous relationship with her behind his brothers' backs. There are many hurts and betrayal floating around these characters so this was also a story of forgiveness and healing.

Summer Morton and Lee Samuels were wonderful narrators! They brought all the characters and the story to life.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

“When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s prepared to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Their history is rife with turbulence. And passion. A heck of a lot of passion… which she’s trying desperately to forget.”

This book wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I assumed it would be fairly straight forward. Babies Boy and Girl have high school romance, only to meet up years later and rekindle their relationship.

As characters, Evan and Gen were way more meaty than I presupposed. More backstory. More nuance. More question marks.

That’s not to say I loved everything about this story. I didn’t love all the chest-pounding, junk-measuring toxic masculinity. I didn’t love how they basically peed on each other, establishing territory. And I DEFINITELY had to keep reminding myself that they were still VERY YOUNG and their brains weren’t FULLY COOKED yet.

But really, I was pleasantly pleased with the depth of personality, sense of place, and redemptive arc of the main characters. I’d even go so far as to source book one in the series, and any subsequent additions.

7/10

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.

The premise of this book is about an old flame or romance, reignited. When the protagonist Genevieve returns home after her mother's death she is confronted with her ex-boyfriend Evan Hartley and the sparks begin to fly as she re-visits her past and her reasons for leaving and also her reasons for staying away from Evan again. This was a straight romance that I felt lacked tension because the romantic pull between Gen and Evan was so high that it didn't make sense for them to even try to stay away for whatever reason and it was blatantly obvious that they should just come together and then you wouldn't have the book at all. I felt this book was frustrating for me because I didn't appreciate the couple's need to be distant from one another. Of course, there's a great bedroom scene, if you are into that sort of thing, but these days you can hardly call it a romance without that. I feel that if you like romance, you may like this book, but it's not my go to romance book.

3 1/2 Stars. I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrations by Lee Samuels and Summer Morton were good. I really wanted to like this book, but I had trouble with it holding my attention. I think this is my first by Elle Kennedy.

Bad Girl Reputation is a second chance romance. The two main characters had somewhat of a toxic relationship and when Genevieve returns to town for her mother's funeral, she's determined to stay away from Evan. She's cleaned up her act and wants it to stay that way. Evan eventually decides that he needs to make some changes in his life if he ever wants to get her back. They are both challenged in their goals by family, friends and town people who are expecting the worst from them.

This book just seemed to be much longer than it needed to be. Some scenes just went on and on with way too many words for what came out of it and it just didn't hold my interest.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the gifted audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Elle Kennedy's latest offering is the perfect mix of second chance romance and a little attempt at the reformed bad boy. After reading Good Girl Complex, I couldn't wait to get Genevieve and Evan's story. So, when the opportunity to read Bad Girl Reputation early presented itself, I snagged it.

The chemistry between these two characters is off the charts. They've had an attraction since they were young and it definitely hasn't faded. Yet, Genevieve is trying to ignore it in order to maintain her new reformed personality and keep herself on the "straight and narrow path." She views Evan as a temptation she can't risk. Meanwhile, the minute she steps back into town, it's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Evan is instantly on high alert and ready to pick back up where they were before. Seeing Genevieve's attempt at disinterest confuses and frustrates him.

As the book progresses, the reader gets more insight explaining why Genevieve left town and changed her lifestyle. You also see how painful her absence was for Evan and how protective his brother is of him after seeing the devastation. The challenge will be whether or not Gen and Evan can work through the changes they've both gone through and still love the people they've become without falling into their old, unhealthy behaviors. They have to both accept that they aren't to blame for the other person's decisions - good or bad.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and easy to connect with. The ending was satisfying and gave me a feeling of satisfaction.

AUDIOBOOK: I really enjoyed the narration. I kept me immersed in the storyline and enriched it as well. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I received both the eBook and eAudiobook of Bad Girl Reputation. My review for the overall story has already been posted under the eBook. This review focuses on my opinion of the narration.

I enjoyed the narrators for this audiobook. I thing they both did a great job bringing the characters to life. I also appreciated that there were two narrators, one for both Gen and Evan. Hearing both a male and female read their parts made the book much more immersive than if it had been just one person reading both parts. Great quality overall.

I am a big fan of Elle Kennedy. I’ve not been able to read the first book if this series, which made it a bit difficult to engage at first. I received an advanced audiobook copy and I enjoyed the narrators. Genevieve and Evan are a passionate couple and its a cute second chance forever love romance.

I really didn't understand this book. I wanted SO badly to like it but I couldn't not get over why these two couldn't be together?? The two main characters were so immature, it almost felt like a YA novel at times. There wasn't much of a plot either... and then it ended so abruptly! This book wasn't for me and that's okay!

Still very grateful for my early ALC from the publisher. Thank you so much!!!!

This book!!!!!

This freaking book!!!

I was lucky enough to get the ARC of this book as an ebook and audiobook so I got to read it and listen to it.

I really thought, after reading good girl complex, that the second in the series would not be as good and boy I was wrong!

I love Gen and Evan so much together. This is a wonderful second chance romance - with both characters realizing their flaws and working on themselves for themselves, and also for each other. I also really enjoyed the Big Brother aspect that allowed Evan to grow more. His relationship with his “little brother” was so sweet and funny.

This is the first book I’ve read that was bad boy and bad girl - which I didn’t expect to enjoy but it was done so well!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for giving me the ebook and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to read in exchange for an honest review.

Book 2 in the Avalon Bay series ~ I suppose it's okay to not read book 1 first, but Mac and Cooper make appearances in this installment. On the flip side I can't say I really remember if Gen was in much of book 1.

Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, death of a parent, absentee parent, high school sweethearts, bad girl to good girl, toxic relationship, small town, twins, some steamage, second chance

Genevieve & Evan
Genevieve is back for her mother's funeral after leaving town a year ago without a word as to why. Her father convinces her to stay and help out in the family business. She's hoping to avoid her ex boyfriend, Evan, but that proves to be difficult in such a small town. They never really got over each other, so they can't seem to stay away from each other now. Can this former bad girl turning good girl sway Evan to grow up too?

Rusty was the worst, most dreadful character ever. Harrison was so sweet and I felt bad that he was led on, but it seems like he might get his own happily ever after.

All in all, there were some frustrating moments between these two, but they had some good chemistry and banter.

I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. Lee Samuels and Summer Morton are our narrators for 10 hours and 24 minutes. While they did a good job the narration was just so slow at 2x and I couldn't speed it up to 2.5x because it skipped, but I got through it just fine. I am happy there weren't the same narrators as there were in book 1.

I received an ARC via NetGalley of this audiobook.

You go into a romance audiobook expecting romance, some push and pull, funny moments and some sort of happily ever after…. You do not go into it thinking you are going to hear some of the most poetic, deeply insightful quotes of your life. I seriously wrote down a few of them as keepsakes and fully intend to get the physical book and highlight the heck out of it. These nuggets of wisdom were the icing on the cake.

The cake itself is a story chock-full of awesome, loveable, realistic characters that you really get to know. There is also all of the expected romance stuff and it is good.

I feel happy, jubilant, even buoyant after finishing listening to this book.

I never heard of Elle Kennedy before this - but I am now a fan!!! Her writing is phenomenal.

The narrators are Lee Samuels and Summer Morton and they work perfectly, seamlessly together.

I recommend this book to anyone on a self-help path to self discovery and anyone who loves romance.

Oooh… this one is a good book!!!!

Ok, if you’ve read the first book in this series, you know what you’re in for! The Avalon Bay series started with a bang and continued in number two! I love love love that Mac and Copper make the supporting role list, and I can’t wait to see who is up next! So many good choices for couples in this town!!

Let’s get into this book! I have to say, man, does it start with heat! Seriously fan your self steam just a few pages in had me hooked! I couldn’t wait to see what Gen and Evan had in store for them. Gen and Evan had some very relatable problems, and it was great to see that in a book.

I was granted an audio version of this book by the fantastic author Elle Kennedy and her publishing company. (Thank you, by the way!) I loved the two people they chose as the voices of each character. It is hard to listen to a book if you don’t love the voices. Spot on choices!!

I loved that this book was from two perspectives (Gen’s and Evans.) I think it’s absolutely incredible when you get both sides to the story. It rounds it out. This book felt full of life, fun, and romance!

I will be honest - I did not love Good Girl Complex. I felt the characters were immature and not very redeemable. But for all the things that bothered me with the first book, the second book was the complete opposite in the best ways. Summer Morton & Lee Samuels return to narrate Bad Girl Reputation and I’m so glad I listened to the second book in the Avalon Bay series.

Evan and Genevieve have been hot-and-cold together since middle school, and when she returns home for her mother’s funeral after being away for a year, she is afraid she will slip back into old habits.

For me, what I loved most about this book was Gen was really trying hard to be a better person. She was looking for stable jobs and staying sober, and reevaluating her friendships with people to determine who was going to help her become a better version of herself. She didn’t stray away from her demons and has the courage to face them head-on. I also loved Evan’s reckoning with his relationship with his mother and his own vices, which also showed depth and maturity that I wasn’t expecting.

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Book 2 of Avalon Bay

I was looking forward to this book because while I enjoyed book 1, it felt like it cut off abruptly and I wanted more.

When I got the opportunity to get and ALC I hopped on it. It was a wonderfully narrated book.

Although I didn’t like either of the main characters, and reading this book made me like the main characters from the first book less.

I think the book was still well written and an easy listen, but if I can’t connect with the characters, I’m going to enjoy the book less.

Best Selling author, Elle Kennedy is releasing Bad Girl Reputation on October 4th. If you were a fan of Good Girl Complex, you will definitely enjoy this second chance romance.

I personally haven’t read Good Girl Complex yet, but this story still makes sense as a stand alone. Definitely adding it to my TBR soon though.

Synopsis: When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s prepared to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Their history is rife with turbulence. And passion. A heck of a lot of passion...which she’s trying desperately to forget.

But it’s impossible not to run into Evan in the small coastal town where they once ran wild. And the moment she sees her gorgeous ex again, it’s clear to Gen that Evan is still as unruly, sexy, and irresistible as ever. This time around, however, she’s resolved to walk a new path. No more partying. No more foolish mistakes. Her plan is to temporarily remain in town to help her father run his business, but the second he finds somebody else, she’s out of there.

Evan has other ideas. He knows they can be good together, but he just has to convince Genevieve of that, even if it means turning over a new leaf himself. But can a bad reputation ever truly be shed? Do second chances really work? Genevieve and Evan are about to find out.


I am rating this 4/5 ⭐️
I thought the romance was well written and I really enjoyed the family dynamics. I really enjoyed how wholesome Evan was (thats all I can say without a major spoiler)

Go preorder this book! It is out everywhere Oct 4th.

I was given early access to the audiobook from Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martins Press

#badgirlreputation #ellekennedy #netgalley #stmartinspress #preorder #romance #secondchance #booktok #bookstagram #octoberreads #wholesome #romance #secondchanceromance #foundfamily #booksbooksbooks #bookrecommendations

“When are you going to accept that I’d be happy watching paint dry with you?”

Elle Kennedy rolls in another hot open door, small town, steamy NA romance. “Bad Girl Reputation” is book 2 but can certainly be read as a standalone. It’s a story about two young loves from high school who couldn’t get their crap together, so now, while in their 30’s, “adult up” and aim to live a life they’re proud of.

Genevieve returns to Avalon Bay for her mother’s funeral. While staying with her father and five brothers, she helps with the family business, and aims to stay afloat physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, coming across her ex-boyfriend Evan, the latter is not so easy. Evan and Gen were always “on” and then “off” and then back to “on” and it was their rollercoaster of emotions - mixed with hardcore partying and rebelling - that made their relationship toxic back in the day.

Now, years later, Gen and Evan are striving to find out who they are as individuals while trying to replace their bad reputations. Gen decides to steer clear of Evan because she wants a clean state in the town; meanwhile, Evan’s brother warns him that Gen is bad news and that he should keep a distance.

But do they? It’s a small town after all. Whether it’s at the bar, a party, or with their circle of friends, Gen and Evan allow an invisible rope to tie them together.

While there were serious undertones, this story was fun, funny, and sweet. I appreciated the heart to heart conversations that family members have with Gen and Evan. It’s this subtle message that having a strong community in your life, whether it’s in the form of family or friends, is immensely important.

Aaaaand of course the haaawwtness is a strong factor with these two. Elle does not hold out; she delivers the smut ’n’ steam both indoors and outdoors. Everyone wins.

The audiobook was a definite delight. Narrators Summer Morton and Lee Samuels did a superb job of playing Genevieve and Evan. I liked how Lee’s voice for Evan and his brother, Cooper, were so distinct that I had a picture in my mind that these two brothers’ banter was happening before my eyes. Summer’s narration is refreshing and light and her portrayal of Gen is spot on.

All in all, this heartfelt story of rediscovery, forgiveness, and newfound faith in people is highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The following review will be posted on my blog on Sunday, October 2nd, 2 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between today and the day of publication, as well, but it has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.






Author: Elle Kennedy
Narrated by: Lee Samuels and Summer Morton

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 4 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death, parent neglect, abandonment, alcohol and drug abuse, police/authority abuse, and includes sexual content.

“Bad Girl Reputation” follows Genevieve (Gen) West, a rebel who escaped the small town of Avalon Bay, running away from her past and her reputation—but then, after being a year away, her mother dies unexpectedly, and she is forced to come back and help her father with their family business. So in comes Evan Hartley, Gen’s on-again-off-again high school ex-boyfriend and personal bad boy. As soon as they see each other, they know there’s still something there, and so Gen has no option but to run away from him, constantly. If she wants to break out from old cycles, then she needs to start with Evan. She can’t be dating him if she’s planning on not being her past, irresponsible self. But what if she isn’t the only on that has changed? What if this time apart has also been good for Evan? What if she does have another shot at love after all.

“Bad Girl Reputation” is worth the hype. This second chance romance is both fast-paced and, well, romantic. I was lucky to get my hands on the audiobook ARC of this book, with Summer Morton narrating as Gen and Lee Samuels narrating as Evan. In my opinion, Summer was the perfect cast. Her voice was all I imagined Gen’s voice to be. Evan, on the other hand, took me a few chapters to get used to. I wasn’t feeling his voice, even if the narrator was doing a great job—and even by the end I wasn’t 100% sold on it.

I am happy to say, tho, that I liked “Bad Girl Reputation” so much more than the first book in this series, “Good Girl Complex”. The first book in the Avalon Bay series felt one-dimensional at times and perhaps even a bit bland. “Bad Girl Reputation”, on the other hand, has so many layers and parallel situations that all show their relevance by the end of the book, even if at times they felt like unnecessary filling. Everything from problematic friendships to awkward dating to strained parental relationships being mended to volunteering were discussed and it was precious.

I would highly recommend grabbing this audiobook, even if you haven’t read the first book on this series, as it serves as a standalone novel mostly. Gen are Evan are the sweetest couple and the narration is clear—so clear, actually, that I was able to listen it at 3 times the speed with no problem whatsoever.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and published by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

I really enjoyed this book. It's a steamy second chance at love romance. Although I felt the characters had a lot of physical chemistry, I didn't get a sense of emotional chemistry between them. So it was kind of hard to cheer for them as a couple. I did like seeing their growth throughout the story, just wish there was more for me to connect with.
3 1/2 stars rounded to 4

Synopsis:
When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s prepared to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Their history is rife with turbulence. And passion. A heck of a lot of passion...which she’s trying desperately to forget.

But it’s impossible not to run into Evan in the small coastal town where they once ran wild. And the moment she sees her gorgeous ex again, it’s clear to Gen that Evan is still as unruly, sexy, and irresistible as ever. This time around, however, she’s resolved to walk a new path. No more partying. No more foolish mistakes. Her plan is to temporarily remain in town to help her father run his business, but the second he finds somebody else, she’s out of there.

Evan has other ideas. He knows they can be good together, but he just has to convince Genevieve of that, even if it means turning over a new leaf himself. But can a bad reputation ever truly be shed? Do second chances really work? Genevieve and Evan are about to find out.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was an amazing follow up to Good Girl Complex. It drew me in right away. I lobe how old and new characters were in the book and we got to see their growth. Writer makes you feel part of the group. Had a hard time turning it off.

I love listening to Summer Morton. She has such a smooth and easy way of narrating, while still giving each character their own distinctive voice. Same with Lee Samuels. They’re a dynamic duo.

As for the story itself, this series does not appear to be based on any reality that I’ve ever heard of, but I did enjoy this book more than the first. It’s both a second-chance love and a redemption story for both of the main characters, but reading about how truly awful the MCs used to be, I don’t think they were celebrated enough for changing their ways. Their teen years were filled with scary and self-destructive behaviors, and I think the author kind of made light of that. Honestly, both Gen and Evan should be in therapy. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.