I really enjoy this Avalon Bay series, and The Summer Girl is #3. Hopefully there will be more! The narrator switches between the two main characters, and the setting, as always, is *chef's kiss*.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I am obsessed with Elle Kennedy’s writing and story telling. I really enjoyed the first two books in The Avalon Bay series. I was extremely excited to read The Summer Girl and finished it in one sitting. I was hooked from the beginning that I couldn’t stop reading. The Summer Girl follows Cassie as she spends the summer in Avalon Bay looking for a summer fling. Cassie and Tate have great chemistry and angst together. I enjoyed the appearances of the other characters from the previous novels. This is the perfect summer read and Elle Kennedy did not disappoint. Overall, The Summer Girl is a fun and spicy novel about a summer fling that turns into romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Elle Kennedy and St Martin's Griffin for this ARC. I can’t wait to purchase a physical copy.

A light summer read that is part of the Avalon Bay series. This can be a stand alone novel, as you do not need to have read the other books in the series to understand the plot, but I think you might enjoy it more if you’ve read the others. I have not read the other books, but thought I’d give this one a shot, and I think I would’ve been more invested in the story if I had read her previous books.

Cassie is home from college and visiting her grandma in Avalon Bay. She meets playboy Tate, who is watching the house next door. They try to start as friends, but soon cross the line and are more. As Cassie becomes a different person, they fall for each other more and then a secret is revealed at the end,

Although this was light, fun, summery, and a little spicy, I think for me, I felt a little bored while reading it. If o had read the other books, I might have been more interested.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc.

3.25 stars. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Cassandra is back visiting her grandmother in the small beach town known as Avalon Bay, where she lived for the first ten years of her life. Cassie decides that this is the perfect time to start a summer fling full of passion, and she has her sights set on her hot neighbor Tate.

The setting of this story was everything I wanted in a summer read. I read majority of this on the beach and I found it matched the vibes perfectly. However, the actual chemistry between Cassie and Tate was lacking for me. It was built up on physical attraction which is fine, but I felt like I needed to see more of an intimate connection to believe in them as a couple. It felt very surface level, and when it came to those deep moments, we were told it happened rather than seeing it play out, if that makes sense. I will say that I really enjoyed the subplots that both Tate and Cassie faced and I think it really helped their character growth. The ending wrapped up a little too fast for my liking, but I still found my reading experience enjoyable. I personally haven’t read the prior books to this one, but I would suggest others to do so because we get quite a few glimpses of those couples.

Summer Girl is the third book in Avalon Bay series and I think this is my favorite of the three!
Cassandra Soul is an Avalon Bay girl by heart. She left her little girl hometown when she was eleven following the divorce of her parents. Every summer she comes back for a week or two to spend time with her grandmother who happens to be a legendary icon of this small beach community as the former owner of the Beacon Hotel. Cassandra is in town again for the summer to stay longer and to say proper goodbye to Beacon Hotel before the family will hand it over to the new owner. Aside from Beacon’s formal handover and inauguration, Cassandra is set to find that one summer fling in the summer town she always loved.

I love the depth of the story. The romance of Cass and Tate was not the only focus of the plot. I was already invested in the characters from the first two books and yet I still enjoyed all the side stories with more characters of this lovely small town and all its charm! There was a twist that gave the romance such heartbreaking outcome. I happen to be at the beach when I read this making me wish I was literally in Avalon Bay surrounded by quaint summer vibe and I could not be more than happy of how this story turned out. Perfect for summer read and its very entertaining that was surely worth the time.

Thank you St.Martin’s Press via Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange of my honest review.

The Summer Girl is the perfect story to start the summer vibes going. I enjoyed the first book in the series, and while I haven’t gotten to the second yet, I jumped into this one because it has more my favorite tropes; friends to lovers, summer fling to true love, and a believable third-act breakup. Cassie is inexperienced and ready to break out of her shell. Tate is very respectful and a cinnamon roll despite his outer persona. I loved their development throughout the book, both as a couple and helping support each other in their family relationships as well. I skimmed through most of the beach games chapters, it was a little too detailed and didn’t seem to matter to the overall storyline, but was fun to see more interactions with past couples.

Overall a good quick read. I liked these characters and the plot was enjoyable enough to keep me intrigued. If you’re looking for just an easy summer read I recommend giving this one a try! This small summer town vibes just makes me want to read this on a beach somewhere. Great vacay read for sure!

Are. You. Freaking. Serious?! Avalon Bay is THE place to be, am I right?! This series consistently DELIVERS. I never want it to end.

First of all, @ellekennedy33 is a writing genius and has a way with words that captivates the reader and makes them completely fall in love with the story and characters. Hence why Avalon Bay is my fav fictional setting and has my fav characters.

Cassie returned home to Avalon Bay for the summer to see her grandmother (who happens to be the woman who previously owned the Beacon before Mac bought it in GGC) and visit with her dad’s family. She immediately ran into Tate (blond, hot, surfer boy physique) and they hit it off almost instantly.

Both having obligations, they knew it would be best to only be friends and skip the whole summer fling thing so no one would get hurt but as soon as they started hanging out and texting they knew that was nearly impossible. They agreed to fling but not let it lead to anything more. Just a fun, flirty, sexy summer. What could go wrong?

Fast forward a few weeks (and a few disasters later) and their fling was on the rocks and their families despised each other. There was such amazing character development in this story and familial drama that just kept you wanting to read more. And the ending? Freaking perfection. Y’all know I love a good grand gesture to end the book and WOW, this was a good one!!! This will be the perfect summer read for 2023 - be sure to preorder this book asap! Release day is July 18th

Thank you @netgalley and @smpromance for giving me the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review 💕

What an absolute ride. I can truly say I was not expecting the big plot twist, not something I feel like you see often in a romcom.

What I liked: the reality of being raised by/dealing with a narcissistic mother. This was very well written, I feel like I highlighted 90% of the interactions between Cassie and her mother. They were so spot on and it was therapeutic to see Cassie stand up for herself and come into her own. Also, Cassie’s younger sisters may have stolen the show for me-absolutely adorable.

What I didn’t like: overall I liked Tate, but his character did give me a bit of whiplash. He was this sweet, golden boy who no one could ever say a bad word about, and yet he did several douche-y things (don’t want to spoil anything). Also, with my whole chest: fuck Gavin and his “truths.”

Obsessed.

With the series. The town. The people. The Hartley’s and their better halves. And now with Tate and Cassie.

Tate and Cassie go through all of it in this book. From heartache to first love to family drama (the drama! I am shocked.) to moving on to friendships it’s all here.

Go to this town, cheer on these characters (except Tori. Never Tori.) and fall for them one page at a time.

Read it!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

“You are not flinging with a six.” She is utterly aghast. “Over my dead body. I’m willing to compromise and settle halfway between a six and a ten—Tate’s a ten, right?”

I loved this book. I appear to have the first few of the series on accident but that’s okay. I loved Cassie and Tates story.

Cassie is entering her senior year and she wants to experience a summer full of passion. Her and friend decide she’s going shop for a summer fling.

Tate is a don’t get serious type of guy. He’s friends with benefits decides it time to part ways. Cassie witness the break up. Tate is not used to being on the receiving end of a break up.

He’s drawn to Cassie but she not the type to have a fling. She’s the type of girl that puts her heart and soul into it.

This was a fun read! I enjoyed the humor between the two MC. I definitely did not expect the ending. I was not a fan of Tori and was glad with her outcome. Overall it was a quick entertaining read. I would highly recommend checking out.

Cassie is visiting Avalon Bay for the summer, a place she has not visited since her parent's divorce.  After witnessing Tate get dumped the two discover that they are neighbors and a friendship develops. Cassie decides to have a summer fling and Tate agrees to be her wingman.  The more time they spend together, the closer they get and their relationship begins to evolve into more.

I loved the atmosphere of Avalon Bay, it gives summer beach vibes and feels like a vacation.  Knowing this is the 3rd book in the series, I was interested in seeing how these characters would tie into the first two books. It was fun to get to see characters from the previous books and I wanted to go back and read them again since it’s been a while. But it’s not necessary, this can be read as a standalone. 

The writing and pacing flowed well and the story pulled me in, but I didn’t feel like I connected with the characters.  If I’m honest there was a lot of focus on Cassie’s boobs and talk about Tate being a player. I wasn’t sold on him being a player, he was dumped at the beginning of the book and I found him to be a really good guy and a huge cinnamon roll.  

There was plenty of romance and spice but what stood out was the focus on family relationships.  Cassie and Tate, cute friends-to-lovers, romance propelled the plot forward but central to the story was their relationships with their families. I adored Tate and his relationship with his parents from the very beginning.  We also see him working through his career decisions and what his dad wanted for him.  Most of all we see Cassie's relationship with her dad and step-mom family evolve. We won’t even mention her mom…ugh!  She had a good relationship with her grandmother, who was a bit of a spitfire, and an adorable one with her twin half-sisters.  

It had some cute banter and steamy moments, the window scene for sure.   Most of all it had a HUGE twist that I didn’t see coming. Seriously, the reveal pained me.  I may not have connected with the main characters but I fell in love with several of the supporting characters.  For the plot to take that turn, I felt like the rug was pulled out from under me.  I felt every bit of the shock, pain, and turmoil as the characters.

This entertaining book had spice, tension, and drama wrapped up in a lighthearted package.

This was cute. A few surprises, but didn’t wow me. A few times I felt like giving up on this one. The ending did make me smile, but won’t be recommending it.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for my advanced copy.

Publish date: July 18, 2023

I got this free ARC for a honest review.
I love Elle Kennedys books, the Briar U series is one of my favorite romances series. And i’ve enjoyed this Avalon Bay series a lot! This one did take me a little bit to get into, i paused on it a few times, but at around 30% i got back in and really started feeling the feels for it. I really loved Tate, he was such a sweetie, and i loved his family. I did like Cassie, she did have a few moments where she lost me, but then i did relate to her in some ways too. i liked how Tate was teaching her how to be more open with her feelings, and to stand up for herself. The end conflict was pretty unexpected, and emotional. I liked that it didn’t ruin the relationship, but then i did hate the reason for the end breakup. Overall i did really love this romance, Elle Kennedys so good at building chemistry and the banter between the couples. So this was a lot of fun!

This series hasn't been my favorite, but still an enjoyable and easy summer read. Much of the conflict revolved around difficult family situations, which I sometimes found hard to read because I really just wanted the heroine to tell her mom to shove it. I understand those difficult dynamics but maybe wanted a little less of the family drama and a little more steam, or focus on Tate and Cassie's relationship. There were also a couple of times when Tate sort of gaslighted Cassie about her relationship with her mom (asking something like "is it really that bad? Don't you have some good memories with her?) and suggested that she should give her mom the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure it was well-intentioned, but sir, there are times when you should listen and not give input. It felt like an immature response and I think maybe I'm just not the target audience for new-adult romances anymore. All that said, I enjoyed the friendship/relationship between Cassie and Tate, and Cassie and her grandma.

Summer Girl is the newest book in the Avalon Bay series by Elle Kennedy. This was a quick, easy read, but did have some serious topics dealt with, especially about narcissistic parents and feeling like you belong.

Cassie is back in Avalon Bay for the summer and is determined to have a fling. She is helping her grandmother pack up her life, to move away from the town that has been her solace during the summer for years. On her first night in town she finds the perfect candidate for her fling, Tate. Tate is a golden-boy that everyone in town seems to love. He's a sailing instructor and is no stranger to flings. However, he knows that Cassie is not the type of girl that does flings. She's gorgeous, funny and challenges him. He does not want to risk breaking her heart, so he puts her in the friendzone. As they spend more time together there straddle the line between friends and lovers and discover that their families may have some secrets of their own.

This was a quick and easy read. I really liked the banter and chemistry between Tate and Cassie and thought they were good together, both as friends and then as dating. The book has some serious moments and those are tackled in a sincere way, while adding some humour to the story.

Cassie is dealing with a lot. She feels abandoned by her father, her mother is a narcissist, and she is struggling to figure out where she belongs. She was a sweet character, but not naïve. She was strong willed, and stood up for herself when needed. I also really liked Tate. He was an aloof guy, but really was considerate of people.

This would be a great summer beach read. I enjoyed going back to Avalon Bay to read Elle Kennedy's newest book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

i looooved this book so much! the first two in this series were meh to be but i found the plot and characters in this book so much more enjoyable and relatable! super fun summer read <3 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, author, and the publisher for the chance to read “The Summer Girl” early. This is a strong entry in the Avalon Bay series. The friendship between Tate and Cassie feels fun and authentic and the progression from friends to lovers feels inevitable. The final act is really moving and surprising to the reader (no spoilers!). Overall, I enjoyed the characters, setting and story and would recommend to readers of contemporary romance. It’s a perfect summer read!

Uahwjdjdjeb tell me why the Avalon Bay Series has my by the metaphorical horns??? Its so good I am constantly in need of more from the characters on page both subject and background.

All our faves from Good Girl Complex and Bad Girl Reputation return in this novel staring the Bays favorite respectful player Tate and Summer
Girl/former resident Cassie. Cassie comes back to the Bay to spend time with her Grandma, give a final farawell to her family's former Hotel the Beacon, and of course look for a summer
Fling 😜

Will Tate and Cassie be able to retain a no strings FWB or will they fall victim to the sun, the waves, and love herself? Find out for yourself this July!!

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Content Warning- narcissistic parent, parental divorce

A great addition to the Avalon Bay series. This book dealt with some weighty subjects, but it felt lighter than the previous two books. I think a lot of that is due to both Tate and Cassie’s personalities. On another couple, these stumbling blocks would become make or break, full of self-loathing and destructive choices. But Cassie and Tate get passed them. They’re both stronger than they think they are, and are both coming from a healthier history of relationships (or flings). This was a fun read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.