Awww Tate's story! This was my favorite male character story of Avalon Bay. I was surprised we didn't get more on Alana thought. Cassie and Tate didn't have the obvious chemistry to me at first so it was sweet to see their relationship grow, especially with how caring Tate is. I was truly surprised with his development considering how in the other two books he's seen as such a playboy. The plot twist was a doozy and I honestly didn't know how the book was going to recover everything but was pleasantly surprised with how everything worked out.

Looking at the cover I knew this could be the perfect poolside summer read - and it was a cute friends to lovers story, there were obstacles but none too big to overcome. The book had enough depth to make the characters real and not just shiny and perfect but it stayed light and was a joy to listen to while running errands and watching kids at the pool.
While being the third book in the series this was my second return to Avalon Bay after reading Bad Girl Reputation last summer but these book work as standalones, yes you get an update on the relationships that have developed in previous books but the focus is on the new couple and the update is not an extensive subject - the plot from previous books does not get rehashed so you can still read those after.

As someone who normally doesn’t love friends to lovers stories I loved every second of this it was fun cute sweet. I love the Avalon bay series and this one is even better… Elle Kennedy never disappoint!

The Summer Girl was an easy read about a summer fling that develops into a bit more. It’s a standalone in a series so even though it’s part of the Avalon Bay series, you can read it without having read the others. (I appreciated that because I haven’t read either of the first two books, but I intend to now, though!)

This book started off hilariously with Cassie involuntarily eavesdropping on Tate getting dumped by his current “buddy”. The entertainment continues as Cassie’s new neighbor is none other than Tate. And she’s convinced he’d be the perfect summer fling. The Summer Girl was cheesy cute and witty with just enough drama (especially around the 85%-ish mark). I adored Cassie’s grandmother and her sass but Cassie’s mom can kick rocks. I really wanted more of an ending though. I’m a sappy, full ending lover and this fell a bit short. I’d still give this a 4 stars and recommend if you’re looking for a cute summer read!

Contemporary Romance
Dual POV
Spicy 🌶🌶🌶

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The Summer Girl is great as part of a series but also as a stand alone. Cassie is your typical young 20 something who has gone through her fair share in her young age and has internalized plenty but not yet learned how to speak her mind about it. Enter Tate, the summer golden boy who is just what Cassie needs to come out of her shell and also maybe help him also notice that not everyone sees so much sunshine and roses all the time. The author portrays the situation well and this is, so far my favorite book of the series but toward the end there, while I think Tate is hugely empathetic to Cassie, the way the author chooses to describe how he's empathetic to Cassie is perhaps a bit over the top. I very much enjoyed this book and how it was portrayed. Grandma and the twins are by far the best.

What a perfect beach book! Elle Kennedy develops the chemistry between Cassie and Tate perfectly. The family drama doesn't take away from this friends to lovers romance. I really enjoyed it. Thanks #NetGalley

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses cheating and an almost forced abortion. Deals with a narcissistic parent. Contains explicit sexual content.

“The Summer Girl” follows Cassie Soul, an almost senior university student living it up in her last summer before college is over. She hasn’t been to Avalon Bay in ages but is back for one last summer with her grandmother, who is selling the hotel that has been in the family for decades. All Cassie is looking for is a summer fling, she just wants some fun and a great summer. And so in comes Tate Bartlett, a sailing instructor and perfect fling material—except he feels the chemistry he has with Cassie is too precious and so pushes for it to stay platonic… but with feelings this strong, will they be able to not cave into the attraction? And beyond that, if they do, will it even stay as a summer fling?

It is not secret I’m a huge fan of the Avalon Bay series, and Cassie’s story definitely didn’t disappoint. Elle Kennedy comes back to this coastal town as spicy as ever and I was there for it—the only caveat was Cassie’s mother, whose narcissistic tendencies really seemed outlandish and straight-on annoying. I was mad half the time but I was also giddy and giggling half the time, so take that as it is.

I honestly cannot recommend the Avalon Bay series enough. “Good Girl Complex”, “Bad Girl Reputation”, and “The Summer Girl” bring in the perfect summer-y series. With mostly likable characters and worthy heroes and heroines, this romance trilogy with captivate your heart, no questions asked.

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

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

I received this book from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my true
opinions after fully reading this book.
I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was a fairly quick & very enjoyable read! I can never go wrong with me Elle Kennedy book!

With it being summer time highly recommend the Avalon Bay series and especially "The Summer Girl." This book highlights how sometimes a summer fling is all you need and how you can learn a lot about yourself over a summer too. While the romance in this book is light hearted with a friends to lovers vibe, the familial dramas our characters (especially Cassie) deal with are not. Enjoyed getting to see returns of characters from the other two books, but you don't need to read them in order to enjoy this one.

The Summer Girl

This book is an incredible summer read. Elle Kennedy is the master at crafting characters with complex family dynamics and the FWB to lovers trope. I devoured this book as it inspired me to chase big dreams and connect with the characters as they navigate complex dynamics in a way that still feels relatable to a general audience. The Summer Girl is definitely a book to put to the front of your TBR pile.

I received this novel as an advanced review copy and offer my honest opinion voluntarily.

What's summer without a trip back to Avalon Bay, our favourite fictional beach town where locals and "clones" mingle together and let off some steam.
The Summer Girl follows Cassie, a college student visiting her family in Avalon Bay who's looking for a summer fling, and Tate, Avalon Bay's resident fun-loving player who happens to be housesitting next door. While Tate is hesitant at first, they can't seem to stay away from each other. But Avalon Bay is full of secrets, can their relationship survive when a big secret is revealed?
This series keeps getting better and better and this might be our favourite Avalon Bay book to date.
Cassie had a lot of growing to do like feeling comfortable in her body and sharing her feelings with others. We rooted her on as she grew into herself, and her story had a great payoff in the end.
Tate was the best! So caring and thoughtful in his friendship then fling with Cassie. He also had a lot to work through and they really pushed each other to be better versions of themselves. They were super cute together. We love seeing a player turn into a cuddly bear.
But let's not forget that this is about a summer fling and boy did they fling! Their chemistry and sparks were fire! And while there lots of spice & steam there's still a plot. We also got to revisit some old Avalon Bay friends/couples and watch them participate in a competitive Beach Games!

Read if you like:
• Friends to lovers romance
• Small Beach Town
• Summer fling + maybe more?
• Family drama
• "Teach me" spicy vibes

I loved the first two Avalon Bay books and the third did not disappoint. I really liked Cassie and Tate. I loved the glimpses of characters from the previous books. A fun, quick story- the perfect summer read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the arc. All opinions are my own.

This book was so cute and you don’t have to have read the others to know what is going on. I enjoyed the plot and it was filled with funny moments as well as serious ones.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

This was another fun summer read from Elle Kennedy, and I've enjoyed the previous to books. Was not crazy about Cassie's character development but otherwise a fun romance read.

I thought it was okay. I used to enjoy Elle Kennedy’s writing, but her personality really put me off. I wanted to try her books again, but I just need to not read her and be okay with that.

This is my favorite from the series. I surprisingly thoroughly enjoyed this story compared to the previous books in the series. Cassie and Tate's relationship was sweet and pretty low angst, which is perfect for a summer beach read. I fell in love with Cassie's little twin sisters, even though they weren't in the book all that often.

This book was leagues above the first two. It was so good! Cassie and Tate are my favorite couple in this series!

The relationships were so well done, all of them. The friendships, the familial relationships, and the romantic ones. The writing was great! Elle Kennedy really stepped up her game with this book.

If Elle keeps writing stories like this, I will keep reading them.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I am normally a big fan of elle kennedy however this book was not doing it for me. I think i will try purchasing the book and re reading it because i kept finding myself wanting to skim.

Summer Girl was not for me. I think maybe I am too old. I couldn't get into the characters and they seemed very immature. I do think this would be better suited for older teens/early twenty readers. I did read Kennedy's book The Good Girl and thought that one was more mature but I just couldn't get into this one.

Thank you netgalley for the read. I always appreciate it!

This was the perfect summer beach read. Drama, spice, summer love, everything you want in lay by the pool or on a beach and read kind of book. This is my first Elle Kennedy book and I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books because I enjoyed her writing style. I loved the chemistry between Cassie and Tate and even the family dynamics of both Cassie and Tate’s families. Overall, I definitely recommend this summer read!