Elle Kennedy does it again,

I love Elle's writing . Anytime im in a reading slump she uslaly perks me back ion

⭐️: 4/5

Cassie Soul hasn’t spent a whole summer back in Avalon Bay in years, ever since her parent’s messy divorce. Now, her grandmother is selling the family hotel and her house, so Cassie returns to the beach town to spend more time with her grandmother, and maybe find a summer fling. Enter Tate Bartlett, her ideal fling candidate. While initially, he is hesitant to be her fling due to fears of hurting her, his attraction to her becomes impossible to ignore. As Cassie and Tate’s feelings for one another start to grow, they find that their relationship status is much less complicated than other secrets that are about to come to light.

Last summer I got to read an ARC of Bad Girl Reputation, and this summer I got to read the ARC of The Summer Girl? How lucky am I?? I love Elle Kennedy’s series, especially the Off-Campus series, so it was a really fun Easter egg thrown in that Cassie attends the fictional Briar U up in Boston, the setting of the Off-Campus and Briar U series. I also love that we get to check in with Mac and Cooper as well as Evan and Gen in this one, because one of my main complaints about a lot of romance books is the lack of an epilogue beyond the HEA, so it’s always fun when future books in the series function as a bit of an extended epilogue. The Summer Girl was a fairly lighthearted, summery beach read, but it also had a fair amount of spice and real talk about emotions. There was also a twist toward the end that I really didn’t see coming, which is somewhat of a rarity in romantic comedy type books, so that was a lot of fun to read as well. This was probably my favorite in the Avalon Bay series, and I hope that we can count on another book in the same universe!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I loved this book! I think it is my favorite in the Avalon Bay series so far out of the three that Elle Kennedy has written. Definitely recommend. I stayed up until 3am to finish it. I loved the characters, their personalities, their quirks and troubles. Just overall a great book with romance, humor and some young adult angst.

This book follows Tate, who you meet in the previous books as he is a local to Avalon Bay. He is the playboy in the group but not in a bad way. He never leaves his hookups on bad terms and makes it sure a good time is had by all. He has two sickening in love parents, a great job and good friends. Cassie has a much more tumultuous background. She isn't a townie even though she grew up in Avalon Bay until she was young but her parents divorced so she moved away to live with her mom. She visits most summers for a short time but this time she is there for the whole summer since her grandma is selling her house and moving away. While back in town, Cassie wants to experience a summer fling. She knows she is leaving in September so nothing can last but she wants to experience passion and lose her virginity. Her first choice is Tate after meeting, flirting and bantering with him. Tate is on board until he realizes she might get too attached and he values her friendship more. As the two becomes friends, the chemistry between them is undeniable and both fight it for as long as possible. But of course it is no easy road. Cassie's relationship with her parents is a huge issue for her and of course secrets have a way of coming out.

Overall a great book. I laughed out loud multiple times. You will fall in love with both Tate and Cassie. Plus you still get to see the characters from the first two books in the series.

I really actually loved this book so much. I didn’t know whether I would because I wasn’t a super big fan of the others before this.

The smut was impeccable 🧍🏻‍♀️ And I love Cassie and Tate so much. Their character development, their relationship with family, all of it was so good.

Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. 🫶🏼

Thanks @netgalley @ellekennedy33 and @stmartinspress for the early look at the third book in the Avalon Bay series, The Summer Girl. I devoured the fun, HOTT romance between Cassie and Tate. It’s the perfect summer read— out on July 18, 2023.

Cassie returns to Avalon Bay for one last summer with her beloved grandma before she sells her house and moves to Boston. There’s only one thing on the agenda—a fun summer fling before she returns to college for her senior year. After witnessing Tate being dumped by his long-term FWB, Cassie thinks she’s found the perfect mark. Tate might be a player, but he’s honest about not being open for a relationship and worries Cassie will get attached. They develop a friendship that turns into much more. But when secrets come out, are they strong enough to survive it?

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: good girl/bad boy, bad mom, wingman

Another hit from Elle Kenndy's latest series. Cassie is The Summer Girl; Tate is the Avalon Bay local. Their meet-cute was adorable and I loved their chemistry!

Another hit from Elle Kennedy. This was an awesome story with no miss communication while still being a friends with benefits story. THE WINDOW SCENE was everything. It is going to be a new scene that everyone compares other spicy scenes too. The ending ripped my heart out a bit but I loved seeing the FMC grow and stand up for her self as the story went on.

The Summer Girl is a sweet summer romance with a decent amount of steam thrown in. Cassie is looking for a summer fling to lose her virginity to. Tate is the good guy that never dates. What starts out as a friendship grows into a situationship... but will it grow into more??

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read that kept me entertained and had a good amount of emotion with some humorous parts mixed in. Cassie and Tate definitely had chemistry. Them being friends first meant that you were able to feel their relationship and feelings grow. If you're looking for a fun, easy beach read, this is your book!

Note: This book has been made into an audiobook, which I also listened to. It's narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth & Teddy Hamilton. I thought both narrators did a great job. Teddy is one of my favorite male narrators so I always love everything that he does. Caitlin did a good job portraying Cassie. I thought she was able to add a good amount of emotion into her narration and she sounded as I would expect the main character to sound.

Elle Kennedy just does not disappoint! Cassie is The Summer Girl; Tate being the local boy all set in Avalon Bay. Cassie is very down-to-earth even though she has a very wealthy grandmother. Raised well, but wanting some fun over the summer, she encounters Tate. Tate is a local beach boy, loving sailing and looking for a love like the one his parents have. The chemistry of off the charts with Cassie even saying “Chemistry…that’s all you need.” Obviously, this is referring to the romantic chemistry! Although quick and slightly over the top at times, the romance and storyline is wonderful. There is really strong character development and I love the journey Cassie has. Past characters are well engrained into the story (but not necessary for understanding this story). This book brings me to the ocean and is a perfect summer read! 4.5⭐️, 3.5🌶

I think that this was my favorite of the Avalon Bay series. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the other two as well, but I love Cassie and think that her conflicts were a bit more involved and she and Tate had to work a bit more to find their happiness. I’m hoping there is a 4th on the way!

The Summer Girl (An Avalon Bay Novel) by Elle Kennedy
(Book and Audiobook Review)
Narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth; Teddy Hamilton
Pub Date: 18 Jul 2023
ST. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio
Romance
Rating: 4.5/5

The Summer Girl is book three in the Avalon Bay Series. My e-book reading was accompanied by an audiobook. It was a great experience as both the e-book and audiobook versions kept me glued to the story. Elle Kennedy's writing is captivating and engaging. I couldn't put it down and found it immensely satisfying. Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton's narratives in the audiobook version truly brought the characters and stories to life, making me feel like I was experiencing the story firsthand.

Synopsis
Tate, a handsome man with a reputation, meets Cassie when she stays with her Grandma in Avalon Bay for the summer. Cassie is looking for fun and Tate is charming and mysterious. Tate becomes Cassie's summer neighbor, and she's determined to romance him without any strings attached. As Cassie and Tate spend time together, they quickly discover that their feelings for each other could become something more than just a summer fling. Tate struggles with his fear that a summer romance will ultimately hurt her. Cassie must face the reality that the attraction between them may be more than she bargained for. As they grow closer, the couple must confront an enormous secret that could tear them apart. As the stakes rise, they must make a difficult decision - whether to trust in their feelings, or let it all go without knowing what might have been.

While The Summer Girl is full of humor, it also deals with some heartbreaking topics. The characters deal with grief and trauma, showing the full range of human emotions. The plot balances out these heavy emotions with moments of joy, emphasizing the importance of resilience and hope. Although I have not read the first two books in the series, The Summer Girl works well as a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this heartwarming novel. Anyone who enjoys a compelling story and quality narration will enjoy this book/audiobook.

#TheSummerGirl #ElleKennedy

I always enjoy Elle Kennedy’s books. She definitely knows how to write charming men and Tate is no exception. A great summer read and next installment in the Avalon Bay series. Always looking forwards to the next one.

Ive read both of the other books in this series and decided to give the third a chance as well. I don’t think the college age stories are for me.

This book follows Cassie and Tate for the summer in Avalon Bay. Cassie is a virgin (the horror!!) and she is looking for a summer fling. She overheard Tate get broken up with and they charm each other instantly. He agrees to be her “wingman” to help find a fling. Obviously… this does not go well for him.

I just couldn’t get down with this book. It was an easy, quick read. Not really spicy. A lot of talk about Cassie being a virgin and then immediately wanting to jump into bed with Tate. A lot of growling. A LOT of messy family drama. The affair was so dumb and and that point I nearly gave up on the book when I wanted to love it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elle Kennedy knows her audience and consistently delivers what they come to her for. The heat here is real, and the tension is palpable. Unfortunately, I think Kennedy tends to rely on addictions in place of building actual characters, and thus her books read sort of like a dramatic fanfic. Which isn't bad, but makes her books come off very juvenile.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🎧Song Pairing: Summer Girl - Leighton Meester from the classic film Country Strong 😂

💭What I thought would happen:

Loved Good Girl Complex & Bad Girl Reputation, knew I had to carry on with the cool people of Avalon Bay

📖What actually happens:

Cassie has returned to Avalon Bay for another summer of sun and fun. Staying with her wealthy, dramatic grandmother and avoiding her mother as best as possible. First night at a townie party she lays her eyes on Tate, the most beautiful man she’s ever seen and may be the perfect guy for a summer fling.

🗯Thoughts:

I think this is my favourite of the series so far! I think I need to read more from this author as this is the only series I have gobbled up so far! If you have suggestions let me know!

The perfect summer book. When reading I felt the sun on the face and could smell the saltiness of the ocean instead of the actual smell of forest fire that is consuming my neck of the woods…

I loved the conflict with Cassandra and her parents, more so her mother and then the complicated relationship with her father and his new family. But most of all I ADORED Cassie’s grandmother. I want a sassy southern nana cloaked in Hermes.

Pick this one up! Pick up the whole series. You won’t be disappointed!

Thank you @macmillan.audio @smpromance @netgalley for a copy of this summer read. I have enjoyed this series and this story focuses on Cassie, who is visiting her grandmother that will be moving away from Avalon Bay. Cassie meets Tate on several encounters and their connection is undeniable. I love seeing Cassie and her relationship with her grandmother and her search for a summer fling. Tate is such a sweet heart and how he embraced Cassie into his circle of friends. The surprise really shocked me and added such an interesting element in the story. A perfect summer read.

I enjoyed the dual POV and narration which brought the story to life.

Cute and spicy. I thought the twist was an interesting one I had not seen before. I continue to enjoy this series and love Elle K.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reader's copy for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & Elle Kennedy for an opportunity to read this book! This book was a perfect summer read. There was romance, drama, coming of age, family lies/miscommunication, and tension. I enjoyed watching Cassie and Tate grow over a period of time, while learning to process pain and make room for love.

Read if you like:
🔥 Spice
💋 Friends to Lovers
😘 Hookup to More
🏖️ Beachy Vibes
2️⃣ Dual POV
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Messy Family Dynamics

I thoroughly enjoyed my return to Avalon Bay and if there are more stories for this series I will definitely be reading them as well as trying to catch up on Elle Kenndy’s backlog soon!

I love the rich and pretentious mixed with the locals vibes that we get in this series were we have working class and extreme wealth side by side and seeing how those sides either come together or butt heads.

I really enjoyed Cassie and Tate’s romance and loved how they were friends first and he was helping her find a summer hookup after he had friendzoned her to them coming together and finding that hooking up with your friends can be fun. 😉

Overall, another enjoyable beachy summer romance from Elle Kennedy that I recommend if you have enjoyed the rest of the Avalon Bay Series so far.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for my ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I have mixed feelings about the book. I thought the storyline and plot were decent and it did keep me reading, BUT and a big but, I felt like much of the conversations were cringy! The author did not need to be so vulgar with her descriptions. There are books where I think it works, but this one was so light, that when those conversations were thrown in, it felt gross. I also did not like all of the body shaming throughout the story. I can't even count how many times they talked about Cass's large boobs. If certain parts of this book were re-worded or omitted, I think I would have enjoyed it more.