Cassie Soul has not spent her summer in Avalon Bay in years, even though she grew up there, when her parents divorced her mother left with her and settled in Boston. About to turn 21, and spending a final summer with her grandmother before she sells her house, she is ready to make the most of her time and possibly have a summer fling.

Cue Tate Bartlett, the town golden-boy. They meet on Cassie's first night back in town and they both feel a spark. Cassie sees him as the perfect candidate for a fling. Tate soon realizes her likes Cassie too much to ruin their friendship and puts her firmly in the friend zone, and offers to help her find a viable fling. Though they try, they may not be able to stay away from each other and keep things platonic, and broken hearts may end up the least of their worries.

Elle Kennedy has come so far in her writing and in this series. This was such a strong novel. The writing was fantastic, the characters were so well presented, the tension and conflict really came alive on the page, the chemistry between the characters was on fire, and over all the story and plot were so well developed. There were so many aspects to this book, and it was all executed beautifully. I had so much fun, but also felt all the emotions along with the characters. This book was a knock out and I hope to see more from this author and this series in the future.

So I LOVED Good Girl Complex and liked Bad Girl Reputation but this one fell a little flat for me.

I liked Cassie and I really liked Tate. The romance between them was fun and I enjoyed reading how they were able to get over some of their past issues to find love.

My problem was for the first time ever, I felt like I was a little too old for the storyline. A lot of the initial concerns/conflicts were juvenile and SO much was based around their parents. As an adult in my 30’s, I of course love and respect my parents but I am too old for them to make decisions for me. Now I know the characters are young and it makes sense for that to matter but I just couldn’t get over it!

I still love Avalon Bay and plan to read more in this series if she continues.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Read this if you like:
⛵️ A player finds love
⛵️ Family drama
⛵️ Summers at the beach

Avalon Bay book 3 & probably my favorite one yet! 😍

Following the journey of Cassie & Tate, both unique in their own right and looking for summer flings in the town of Avalon Bay. Tate resides there and Cassie is visiting her grandma for the summer, when their paths cross in a very unique and pretty awkward way 😉
This book explores the depths of relationships, family dynamics, hidden secrets, and how your best intentions to keep things “surface level” can typically come back to bite you 😉

Elle Kennedy has a knack for diving into the details of each character right away, making it seem as though you have known the characters for your whole life. These specific characters were incredibly relatable & genuine at the same time.

This book didn’t shy away from the “hard stuff” when it comes to family dynamics, toxic relationships, misunderstandings and complexities that surround the quaint beach town. I honestly felt that it was very well done and a thorough description was laid out within the book as a whole, as opposed to just glazing over the issues/challenges/tough times and finding your happily ever after.

I can’t wait to read more of Elle’s books!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This book came out on 7/17/2022! 🙌🏼🎉

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I’ll be honest - I was concerned going in. I really liked the first Avalon Bay book, but struggled through the second. However, I’m a completist and am glad I got this ARC (had me reading on a deadline!). I really enjoyed this story. I have some trouble with the descriptions and language - I like 🌶️🌶️🌶️, but some of the author’s choices in the writing style just turned me off. I saw every plot point coming from a mile away (even the ones you weren’t supposed to), but that’s to be expected in a romance! All in all, I did like this story and like both Cassie and Tate very much.

I love Elle Kenndy and her other books, but this one wasn't it for me. I couldn't find myself resonating with the characters.

This is hands down the best book in the Avalon Bay series - if you read the first two and didn't like them (I know many had that reaction), you should consider picking this one up! It's exactly what I wanted in a coastal small town romance and I felt so much more engaged with The Summer Girl! I loved getting Tate's story as he is one of the only characters I truly liked in the first book - and him with Cassie was just perfection! They had great chemistry and banter - I really felt like they were perfect for each other. There was a good mix of drama and a 3rd act break up that actually made sense! I definitely recommend this book if it appeals to you - it's such a good summer, poolside (or beachside) read!

“I’m waiting for your orders,” is the gravelly response. “Tell me what you want.”

The first 40% I wasn’t really loving. Cassie had a lot of vanity issues (self-confidence issues stemming from trauma, I know, but it was a little annoying in the way it was described) or rich people issues and Tate was a dude. You know, a dude’s dude and it was a little meh. HOWEVER…

She chuckles. “Have you forgotten my most important rule of life, dear? Always leave the house dressed as if you’re going to—” “—be murdered,” I finish, rolling my eyes. “Oh, I remember.”

After 40% , i started enjoying it and read it pretty quickly! Cassie got a little more real for me and Tate started to become a book boyfriend instead of a dude’s dude. There were moments were I was smiling like a lunatic at my screen and I’d check myself and think, dang girl, you’re lucky you’re not in public, because you’re being creepy 😂 But, there were still a ton of things that annoyed me. I’m *conflicted*.

“Good girl,” he encourages when I set the phone down. “Now take your left hand and hold onto the ledge. Hold yourself steady.”

The smexy times? Hawt. Very. Their chemistry was really great so I appreciated that, even if it was very insta attraction. But, yes to the spice, it showed up ready to roll.

“You turned down a sugar mama? Oh, Tate.”
I glower at her. “I’m not for sale.”
“You’re literally putting yourself up for sale in an auction!”

I liked seeing the characters from books 1 & 2, seeing a little more of their relationships, and how the Beacon was coming along!

“Let’s hear it again,” yells Evan. “Louder this time! What are we gonna do?”
“Murder,” the two non-Hartley team members recite. Thoroughly unenthused.
“And who are we gonna murder?” shouts Cooper.
“Your girlfriends.”
“Hey, assholes,” Genevieve calls. “We’re right here, you know.”

I also loved her Grandma and I was so worried she was going to die the entire book 😅

“All good,” I lie. Because that’s what I do. I plaster on sunny smiles and pretend the attacks on my appearance, my father, my entire life have zero effect on me.

And the villain of Avalon Bay goes to none other than Victoria “Tori” Soul. GOD. She was a complete narcissistic bitch. The constant degradation and belittling of Cassie, her obsessive need for status and money, her treatment of Cassie’s dad and Nia. GAH. BITCH.

I liked her dad, Nia, and the twins! Oop, can’t forget stinky Pierre either 😂 Tate’s family was great, even if the reveal at the end threw me since I don’t like that topic, and I loved their love of boats. I dunno why, it’s not like I’m a boat person 🤷‍♀️ but it is what it is.

I love everything about this book. I love the summer fling vibes, the small town feel, and the friendships that are formed.

Tate and Cassie are probably my favourite couple from this series so far. Tate is kind of a squishy, but super sexy, marshmallow. He’s sweet and funny. Cassie is every kind of awesome. Her awkward blabbering and quick snarky comebacks are hilarious. These two together just make my heart happy!

This was a cute YA romance novel. It was engaging, a little spicy and generally just a fun summer beach read. The characters were likable (well some not so much, but that was intentional), and made you wanting things to magically fall into place for them. There is a little twist towards the end that I really appreciated. Every good story needs some complicated hurdles or crazy family dynamics all mixed in there to keep things interesting.

Cassie is spending her summer in Avalon Bay to help her grandmother sell her home and say goodbye to the hotel she built from the ground up. She's got another goal for her summer though also, she wants a whirlwind, passionate summer romance that she has heard about, but never gotten to experience for herself. Tate Bartlett is the small town golden boy, he manages to charm all the ladies, but somehow doesn't have the reputation as a jerk, just the guy you go to for a good time with no strings attached, and he likes it that way. When he meets Cassie though, he enjoys her company so much that he doesn't want to risk their newfound friendship by giving her the fling she wants. They spend their time, walking a fine line between friendship and more, until they can't fight the attraction anymore, but this small town is full of secrets...and those secrets are going to try to wreck them.

This was by far the BEST of this series in my opinion. With that said, I thought it would be my favorite. I am a sucker for the reformed player trope and Kennedy did it so well here. I adored getting to see Cassie and Tate go through the friendship phase first and eventually fall in love. The third act conflict actually made sense and didn't seem ridiculous, and only made me love both of the characters more. They learned so much from each other in their summer together and it warmed my heart.

Fantastic!

this book was a nice addition to the series. I think the first two were better books but I enjoyed reading this book. A fun summer read

Cassie is spending the Summer in Avalon Bay with her Grandmother as they say farewell to The Beacon, the Hotel that has been in her family for fifty years.
While she is here Cassie is determined to have a summer fling, and sets her eye on Tate Bartlett.
This will truly be a life changing Summer as Cassie is forced to face some hard truths about her family.

Much like Bad Girl Reputation, this is not simply a romance book, as it touches on some deeper issues.
It is a great combination of hilarious situations, adorable banter, soul searching, and tough decisions.

While I did enjoy Bad Girl Reputation, I did not LOVE it, so I was a touch apprehensive about reading this one.
But I did really, really like this one and find myself hoping Elle Kennedy is not done with Avalon Bay just yet.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Cassie is looking for a summer fling and house sitter-next-door Tate is her target. Their attraction is hard to deny, all it takes is one spark and all bets are off. I really enjoyed these characters = together their banter and humor was fun to read. Independently, they both know what they want and aren't afraid to act on it, which is rare in a story like this. Usually there's some drama or event that occurs and the characters let that get in the way of their blossoming relationship. Oh and there's some of that too, but the family drama is the B story. (Even though this is book 3 in the series, it reads as a standalone.)

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can’t tell you how much I love this series! It’s so good and absolutely perfect for the summer. Cassie and Tate we’re so much fun to read. I absolutely love the connection that they have with one another and how much goodness they bring out in one another. They have great chemistry, wonderful banter and so cute together! I also had the pleasure of listening to this book on audio, and it was such a great experience. The narrators did a wonderful job bringing our main characters to life. If you’re looking for a sweet summer read for a day by the pool or at the beach this is the perfect book for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy
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Cassie is spending the entire summer in Avalon Bay with her Grandma. One of Cassie’s goals for the summer is to have a fling with a hot guy. And when fun-loving Tate shows up to house sit next door, Cass thinks he would make the perfect fling for her.
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This is my third book in Avalon Bay and I really hope it’s not the last because I LOVE THEM.
Cassie’s story really resonated with me. I loved reading about her spending time with her Dad’s side of the family. It was such a sweet contrast to her interactions with her mom.
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The beach games were such fun and it was the best to see Cassie makes friends with characters that I’ve already come to care for, mostly Mac and Gen.
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Tate and Cassie were so sweet and fun together and I loved every moment of this fling turned romance.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

absolutly love that i discovered this series and author this year. they are all these fun summer romance books. they each feel unique and special and have different outcomes as well. I thought it was so belieable with the mcs desire to find her summer fling and all the hilarious misteps along the road for her. Book was a adorable

This book was a well written friends to lovers, beach read.

It was a sweet read, but without a lot of excitement or drama. For this reason I had a hard time getting caught up in the story.

For me it was a good, but not great book.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

This was my first Elle Kennedy novel and I enjoyed the story. It was waaaay more “spicy” than I prefer & especially the Tate sections were pretty vulgar. It was what a guy that age would have talked like though. I thought Cassie’s Mum Victoria was a real piece of work & an anomaly in their family. Lydia & Cassie are great but Victoria was gross. No kid deserves a Mom like that. I really wanted to know what happened with the auction since Cassie was trying to win the spa package but they never resolved that. The window scene was super steamy & I kept thinking they were going to get caught by someone. I liked the storyline and I loved the ending. On the whole I think this was a fun summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I’ve read all three in the Avalon Bay series! This one was the slowest of the three, but I did really enjoy the characters.
Spicy rating is 🌶️🌶️🌶️ take until about 50% tho.

Cassie is in Avalon Bay for the summer visiting her grandma, dad, and siblings. She just wants a summer fling before her senior year of college.
Tate is helping his dad run the boat shop and doing sailing lessons whom is smart, handsome, and has a way to melting a woman’s heart without breaking it.
When Cassie and Tate meet it’s instant chemistry. The problem is Tate is warned by his friends to not have a fling with Cassie because she’s too important to potential hurt. Cassie isn’t fragile and wants freedom. She sees nothing wrong with having a fun summer with the Avalon Bay fling master.
How will their summer turn out? Do they end up expressing their feelings or just have fun?

Rating: 4.25 ⭐️
Spice: 2.5 🌶️

It’s the summer before her senior year of college and Cassie wants a fling. She’s staying with her grandma for the summer in Avalon Bay and right next door is the hottest guy she’s ever seen, Tate. He’s the perfect candidate! Cassie and Tate start the summer as friends, but can’t deny their attraction.

Cassie is relatable in that she’s a little awkward when first meeting someone (like me), but it’s nice to see her growth. Tate is a confident, happy guy who never judges Cassie for her quirks. They are a great match!

This is a perfect summer read—small beach town, bonfires, boats, and a hot fling—what more could you want? I prefer it over the first two books in the series which were more angsty. There is some family drama in this one and difficult situations with parents, but it’s not at the center of the story. I think it can be read as a standalone.

I received this as an ARC and this is my honest opinion.