The third book in this trilogy did not disappoint at all! I loved the relationship and chemistry between Tate and Cassie. The twist in the middle? I did not see coming (wowza! imagine finding that one out!!) and I loved how Cassie stood up for her self to her mom, dad, and stepmom finally!

After Ellie witnesses Tates breakup they fast become friends.
He soon becomes her wingman since they both agree to not become more.
But soon thay becomes more.
The smut is good
There's a shocking twist at the end.
Overall I really enjoyed it.

Okay I kind of loved Cassie and Tate. I just read book 2 in this series and I definitely like this one way more. I found Cassie to be super relatable. She was witty which made this a fun read as well. Tate is such a sweetheart and his good guy personality is so charming. The twist at the end…I did not love, but it did sort of balance out all the perfection and I appreciate that for Cassie’s family there wasn’t just some kids and makeup moment, it felt more authentic that she felt the things she felt unapologetically.

This is such a fun summer romance, and I love the Avalon Bay series!

I enjoyed this love story immensely. Cassie and Tate are so sweet together and the progression from friends to lovers to being in love followed such a natural timeline that I felt like I was falling in love too. There a few serious topics brought up in the book, but I thought they were handled in an appropriate and sensitive manner. This is the kind of novel that I love and Elle Kennedy excels at writing. The audiobook is fantastic and the narrators Teddy Hamilton and Caitlin Elizabeth make it all seem so real.

Another great contemporary romance in Avalon Bay. Cassie and Tate were such a sweet couple. I also enjoyed getting glimpses of past characters to continue their story lines throughout the series.

A nice quick, easy read that goes will pair well with the pool or beach this summer.

Thank you for the eARC.

As the titles says this is such a perfect summer romance and if you’ve read the first two books in the series you know that’s it’s a treat to be back in Avalon Bay. Cassie is looking for a summer fling and when she propositions Tate and he turns her down they decide they’re better off as friends. That actually surprised me in a good way as I thought it showed maturity and a good nature in Cassie especially as she’s so young, I just really liked her character so much, I found her to be endearing and just super likable. Tate was also a great hero, I thought his honesty was refreshing and he did make me swoon a little. You get dual narration and the audio performance from Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton was absolutely perfect. Definitely recommended as a great summer read, some spice, some emotion and great summery vibes.

This is the third in a series based on a small tourist town. Elle Kennedy describes the conflict of locals and wealthy tourists as a side story in each of their novels. Cassie and Tate coming from different worlds slate around each other, finally agree for a just for now relationship, bit feeling and crazy family members get in the way. Elle Kennedy crafts a story that keeps you interested from the beginning to the end.

This is one of my fave books of 2023 so far. I didn’t see Cassie and Tate coming and I am so glad I was able to read this book ahead of time. The book right before this one in the Avalon Bay series wasn’t my favorite but this book completely redeemed itself. I couldn’t stop reading this book. I had to know how everything was going to play out.

This couple was just everything you want a young couple to be. It’s hard to find the connection of younger couples sometimes but these two did it for me.

Highly recommend this book! The Summer Girl was definitely one of my top reads of 2023!

This is the third book in the Avalon Bay Series. I have not read the two previous books but I didn’t feel like I needed to read them to understand this one.
Cassie comes back to Avalon Bay to stay with her grandma for the summer and to attend the reopening of the Beacon hotel her grandmother just sold.
Cassie is looking for a summer fling and meets a local named Tate.
This book was cute. It has a very big YA feel to it though so this would be a great book to read if you are used to reading YA and are looking to get into NA romance.
There’s hardly any spice, it’s mainly talked about in passing. The majority of the book is fun and lighthearted.


Thank you #netgalley for the E-Arc

4.25/5
This is by far my favorite of the Avalon Bay books. Cassie and Tate were a match made in heaven, or on the beach, as it were. I love their meet cute, I love when they decided to fling, I loved the beach games, and I loved when they fell in love. I especially like how the third act chaos and drama wasn't really what you com to expect from romance reads, and it was a nice change of pace. This book, and all the books set in Avalon Bay give that summer vibe and reminds me of summers past. which makes them excellent summer/beach reads.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with and eARC in exchange for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I'm surprised to see that this is the first book I've read by Elle Kennedy, as she's written quite a few. I enjoyed this one, so I hope I get a chance to read more by her. The romance was fun and the characters in Avalon Bay came to life.

The Description:
College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston. Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that’s been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday… and maybe find herself a summer fling.

On her first night in town, she finds the perfect candidate: Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun-loving golden boy.

Tate, sailing instructor and lovable player, is no stranger to flings. In fact, he’s always down for a good time. But the moment he meets Cassie, he knows she’s not the girl you play games with. Cassie is gorgeous, hilarious, and, frankly, the coolest person he’s ever met. The last thing he wants to do is risk breaking her heart, and so he reluctantly puts her in the friend-zone… only to realize he made a huge mistake. Soon, his attraction to Cassie becomes impossible to ignore. He wants that fling now. Big-time.

And maybe even something more.

As Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, they’re about to discover that their situation is the least complicated part of this equation. Because Avalon Bay is full of secrets—and their relationship might not survive when those secrets come to light.

My Thoughts:
This would make a great beach read. Cassie is a great character. She's smart, considerate of others, and has been faced with some difficult issues. Tate, Cassie's romantic interest, is also a great character: good-looking, responsible, fun-loving and has good character. Cassie's mom, Victoria, is an evil person who is easy to dislike. Cassie's Dad is much easier to like. The setting, Avalon Bay, seems like a picturesque beach town and I liked all the sailing adventures. The Beach Games were just pure fun. This book dealt with relationships and secrets and their effects on others.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley + St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I enjoyed The Summer Girl a little more than I enjoyed Bad Girl Reputation (I haven't read Good Girl Complex, so I can't compare to that one), I'm still not entirely sold on the Avalon Bay series. For me, it just feels like a bunch of 20-somethings who are still trying to live in their 'glory days' and act like teenagers and it's just a little difficult to relate to. I enjoyed the story a bit more than the last one, it had more depth in my opinion, but even so, it was still just fine to me.

I will say that the storyline with Cassie's mother was done very well. I genuinely didn't see the twist at the end coming, and it did serve as the perfect catalyst for the 'third-act breakup' sequence, especially since they had already individually established that there was nothing standing in the way if they truly wanted to make something work after the summer.

This is definitely the definition of a summer read — it's an easy read, you get some spice, and the town itself is written to the point where you genuinely want to visit. Was it my favorite read? No. But was it my least favorite read? Also no! If you've read the previous books, it's worth it to return to Avalon Bay.

This review originally appeared on Goodreads.

The Summer Girl is a fantastic summer read - great characters, fun banter, and a good dose of humor. I loved seeing scenes with Mackenzie, Cooper, Evan and Genevieve from the previous books in the series - they bring so much humor to the book too. Tate and Cassie have great chemistry. Emotions and drama run high as they try to navigate family issues and relationships while still attempting to keep things casual between them. They see the best in each other and definitely encourage the other to go for what they want and also speak up to their families. I really have liked all of the books in the Avalon Bay series - this might be my favorite of the series. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

The Summer Girl was classic Elle Kennedy in the best way. Good rich girl next door starts a summer fling with the hot local housesitter next door. Their windows line up across from one another. Need I say more?

This third book in a summer-y series takes us back to Avalon Bay, where a group of friends on the precipice of adulthood are all finding themselves inevitably falling in love. In The Summer Girl, it’s lovable-golden-boy-always up for fling, Tate’s turn. Cassie Soul spent all her childhood summers in Avalon Bay until her parent’s divorce, but has returned to spend a final summer with her grandmother before she sells her home and family business. She decides a summer fling is in order and sets her sights on fun and charming Tate, her grandmother’s neighbour for the summer. Tate however, quickly realizes that Cassie is one of a kind and not a woman to have a quick hookup with. She is funny and beautiful, and Tate enjoys her company so much that he turns her request for a fling down in order to maintain a friendship with her. Their friendship and attraction blossoms so quickly that it isn’t long before he regrets turning her down. Tate and Cassie find themselves developing a deep and meaningful attraction and kinship with each other that is impossible to ignore. If they cross the line from friends to lovers, will it ruin what they have, or make it better? And with secrets from other people in their lives about to implode, will any relationship between them at all survive?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------

I love the Avalon Bay series, and this was no exception. With so many callbacks and appearances by the rest of the friend group it was easy to get sucked back into that perfect beach and summer vibe these books give off. While it can be read as a stand-alone book, I always think it adds to the depth of the story to read the others first.

Cassie and Tate were great characters. While Cassie seemed a little young and rudderless at first, she definitely wasn’t naive or bland. She really grew on me by the end of the book. Tate was charming and funny, empathetic and goofy- basically the perfect book boyfriend. The way they bantered and laughed, flirted and had deep discussions made the way they fell in love feel natural and perfect. The overall theme of family in this book, whether it be biological, a step-parent, or a found family made up of a friend group was impactful. Cassie’s relationships with her grandmother, father, and her mom, and the relationship between Tate and his parents, were all deep and meaningful and sad at times. The pain a parent can inflict on us can be the most cutting and for both main characters, although in different ways, this comes through loud and clear.

This was a solid four star read for me and I hope there is still more to come in the Avalon Bay series. I think it is the best of the series so far (and I LOVED Gen and Evan). The ending wrapped up a little too cliche for me with Cassie’s book deal and rushed reunion with Tate, but I can easily overlook that for the strong beginning and middle to the book.

Tropes- friends to lovers, summer romance, new adult romance, small town, dual POV

4 stars and 3 peppers for spice.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I have to say that, overall, I was a bit disappointed with this series; I absolutely love Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus and Briar U series so, in comparison, her Avalon Bay series just didn’t live up to my high expectations. On the upside, the beautiful beachside setting of Avalon Bay makes The Summer Girl a perfect summer read, or a great escapist read for the colder months. So, if you enjoy new adult romance, then I highly recommend reading The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy.

THE SUMMER GIRL is the third novel in Avalon Bay series, which can each be read as stand-alones in my opinion. I think they are best read in order though to get a better understanding and context of the friend group and the relationships within.

I was entirely convinced that the main character of this novel would be Alana from the friend group because of the redhead on the cover… alas I was wrong and it took me a couple chapters to get my mind in the game because of it! As you can tell, I’m not a big reader of the synopsis which can be a problem but everything worked out for me here!

Cassie hasn’t spent a summer in Avalon Bay since her parents divorce, but now that her grandmother is selling the Beacon Hotel Cassie is back in the Bay to spend the summer with her family and she’s in search of a summer fling. Tate is Avalon Bay’s golden boy and is no stranger to a fling. When Cassie propositions him, Tate puts her in the friend zone whilst they navigate the line between friendship and more.

I loved getting to know Cassie and Tate via a dual perspective storytelling. Cassie is a FMC who is easy to appreciate and relate to. She has a difficult family dynamic, but she remains down-to-earth and such a sweet person. Tate is the town’s golden boy and his generally good self shines through the story as all the characters interspersed alongside his actions indicate that he’s a generally good guy.

I loved the navigation between friends to friends with benefits to something more. As always, Elle Kennedy is the master of spice and that’s no different here, with just the right amount of spice interspersed with fun banter. While this is a cute romance read, it is a story with depth and some emotional heft so be sure to check out the trigger warnings.

I loved the cameos of the previous two books couples popping up in this novel. It was nice to catch a glimpse of Mackenzie & Cooper and Gen & Evan!

This is the perfect summer beach read. Elle Kennedy knows how to write a fun and compelling romance!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this lovely beach read.

I was able to read Bad Girl Reputation ahead of its release date and throughly enjoyed it, so I was excited to get back to Avalon Bay for The Summer Girl.

Cassie is a refreshing female character, who is very much aware of herself and grows leaps and bounds throughout the novel. Tate, the male love interest, is just a stand-up guy. Even if he’s known to “get around”, everyone views him with respect, and I just loved being in his perspective throughout the book.

This read is perfect for anyone looking for a summery escape, complete with family drama, steamy romance, and fun beach games that make you reminiscent of your own beach memories!

This book touched on some deeper topics, such as emotional abuse, strained familial relationships, and infidelity, but I still felt light after I finished! It has substance, but still feels like a perfect beach read.

The release date is July 18, 2023, and I highly recommend!

4.5 rounded up
I have absolutely LOVED this trip back to Avalon Bay. In The Summer Girl we get the story of Tate, the notorious ladies man who no one has a bad thing to say about, and honestly after this book, I don’t either! Watching Cassie and Tate’s love bloom was so heartwarming, but they were also so much FUN!

Cassie was so sweet, and so relatable to me. Although my mom is not a narcissist like Cassie’s is, I was in a relationship with one for almost a decade and the way this book describes a narcissist is SPOT ON. The way she felt about herself hit so close to home, and her growth from it was such an incredible thing to be a part of. Tate is an absolute sweetheart; my favourite love interest from this series by far. Just the most genuine guy, ugh. And the communication?! We love to see it. There were soooo many great conversations had here, but within Cassie and Tate’s relationship but also outside of them and with each of their parents as well.
It's always fun in stand alone series like this to catch those little easter egg moments from the previous books, but I absolutely melted to have that full circle moment with Mac’s successful opening with her hotel. Girl worked hard to restore that beauty and it brought tears to my eyes when she was giving Cassie’s grandma the tour.

By far my most favourite of the series, and I really hope this isn’t the last time we take a trip to Avalon Bay!

Oooo this story and Elle Kennedy's writing are so good! The character development is on point and the dialogue is engaging. I love reading her books and I'm so glad I got to read this one. Definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Elle Kennedy!