I finished this in one day!

This is a cute summer romance about two people who only want a summer fling but it becomes something more. I enjoyed the premise of this, and as my first Elle Kennedy book I wasn't disappointed. I loved Cassie's character development and Tate was adorable. I would definitely check out the other books in this series.

-1 star because there were some elements of the plot that weren't really true to the characters involved, and there were some parts that could've been cut or shortened (Beach Games).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

OMG. I loved this book. I fell in love with Cassie's growth and watching her learning how to stand up for herself. Tate is a perfect match for her and getting her to love life. I was so glad to return to Avalon Bay and I hope to come back soon.

I absolutely loved Tate and Cassie's story! This book tackles the complicated relationships people have with their parents, advocating for yourself, and of course, summer romance. Elle Kennedy does a great job creating realistic characters, fun story lines, and throws in some steamy romance here and there. The Summer Girl is a great book to pick up for your next fun read.

This book was so good thanks so much for the copy I really enjoyed this so much along with the writing definitely will recommend

I enjoyed this latest installment in the Avalon Bay series, although the writing was repetitive at times (I don't think that many 20 somethings actually 'snicker' on a routine basis). This was a slow burn with a few unexpected twists thrown in at the very end that sort of threw off the pacing for me.

I adored Tate as a main character -- sure, he was a player, but he treated women with respect and didn't make hooking up his whole personality like Evan in Bad Girl Reputation. He's just a simple man with simple pleasures-- sailing, spending time with family, and sex. Although he was brought up in a house with loving parents, he seems to think that true love isn't something destined for him, which I found odd (until later). Usually a character swears off love because they haven't seen it themselves, but that's not the case here. I sort of wanted there to be more of an insta-love, oh my gosh she's the one reaction for Tate when he meets Cassie, but instead he agrees that they are better off as friends and even offers to be her wingman. I guess maybe I've been immersed in different subgenres lately, because I was waiting for that OTT jealousy and was disappointed when it was more gradual.

Cassie is a typical(?) 20 year old spending the summer with her grandmother. She was fine as a character but didn't wow me. I wish she had stood up to her toxic mother a lot earlier as I didn't see that she had much to lose (usually a parent is holding an inheritance or something over their head).

The reason for the third act breakup really comes out of left field, and I didn't find the resolution particularly satisfying. Maybe an epilogue further into the future would've helped. Overall, I was compelled to follow Tate and Cassie's journey, and will probably read the next book in the series.

Elle Kennedy has done it again! I am a huge Elle Kennedy fan and I love all of her books! I was so excited to read this book! The characters were charming and strong. The setting was perfect!

Solid 3.5 stars, rounded up

I would like to start this off by saying when I requested this book from NetGalley, I had no idea it was the third in the series. With that said though, it's a series where every book follows a different couple so while I didn't get the background of some of the other characters, it felt like a standalone book and I don't feel like I missed anything by not reading the first. I will however be going back and reading the first two books now haha.

A duel POV of a summer fling between Cassie and Tate. Cassie is in town for the summer staying with her grandma and wanting to find a summer fling. Enter Tate who she meets while accidentally overhearing him being dumped by his current FWB. Tate ends up friend zoning Cassie and becoming her wingman. But will they stay in the friendzone for long?...

A fun and easy friends to lovers beach read that also touches on some deeper family issues. I thought the balance of fun beach read and more serious family matters was done very well. It also added tremendously to the character development in the two main characters, Cassie and Tate.

Overall I enjoyed the book, the main reasons I gave it 3.5 stars is because I just didn't connect with Cassie and Tate a ton. I liked them and routed for them, but I didn't overly love them like I have other couples. I also thought the final hurdle of their relationship was completely unnecessary. It took like 5 pages to resolve and added nothing to their relationship nor their character development. All it did was make you wonder "hmmmm how are they going to get back together?" for 5 pages because it was obvious it wasn't going to end without a HEA.

All in all a solid summer beach read that is quick to read.

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

I loved this installment of this series. I have always had a soft spot for Tate - we see him in the previous books and we love him regardless of being a player because he's a good guy at the end of the day. Tate loves his parents and has a few jobs along with helping his dad at the dealership.

Cassie is in town for the summer - her last summer with her grandmother moving - she has loved coming to this town in the summer but that stopped when her parent divorced.

This book was about two people who grow with each other and outside of each other - as per usual it was fun and sexy but full of drama and a shocking drama it was

another hit from Elle - Amazing!

3.5 Stars!

Fun, easy read with a kick of spice that will leave you wanting the beach, breeze and ocean waves right along with a summer fling.

Yesss! I’m so happy to be back in Avalon Bay!! I was definitely curious to find out who Tate’s new summer girl would be! And Cassie is perfect for Tate from the start.

I love their fun & flirty banter. Definitely love when they “cross the line”. They are definitely a spicy couple when they cross a that line😉🔥

Aside from just being a good match for each other. I love that they both try to lift each other up…gulp until Tate does what’s best for his mom😔 She is pretty awesome though! I love that she & Cassie work together to get Tate what he needs😘

💕fave quotes📖
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.”—-omg I laughed out loud at this bc I tell my daughter something along those lines as well🤣

“Nobody’s perfect. Least of all me. We’re all just human. Good, bad, and everything in between. Luckily, I found a woman who shares my belief that one mistake doesn’t have to define a person. I’m not perfect,”😭


“Gemma, come on. You’re being too hard on yourself.” “No.” She shakes her head. “Tate comes first. Always. Forever.”🥲

This was a solid, really fun addition to the series.

This book makes me want to be on the beach in the summer. You can go wrong with it! It did drag on a bit in the middle, but still enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this quick easy beach read! The angst and spice were on par with her previous books. The friends-to-lovers aspect was well-written and I liked the character growth at the end.

<i> This book was given to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review. </i>

First I gave this book 4 stars, then 4.5, and now I've settled on 5 stars. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this since I finished it two days ago. I am not ok. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I loved this entire series so much and unlike any other series I've read, it got better with each book. I fell in love with Mac and Cooper and thought they'd be my favorite couple. Then Evan and Gen surprised me and I enjoyed their story even more. I thought Cassie being an out of towner would change how I felt about this small town, but her and Tate's story made my knees go weak. Utter perfection.

I don't know how Elle Kennedy so convincingly writes these bad boy yet good guy men, but wow. Tate is a player and normally that would give me a slight ick, but she writes the biggest hearted men who are respectful, intelligent, caring, and can throw it down. I loved him so much.

I was appreciative of the resolution to Cassie's relationship with her mom. So often, in the fourth act, books just smooth over difficult relationships without any real change or resolution, and this one was fitting. It wasn't just rainbows and sunshine and had real depth and I completely understood Cassie's stance.

I don't know what else to say because I feel like I'm gushing, but I'm a huge fan of Elle Kennedy after this series. I hope some how there are more stories for Avalon Bay and if you haven't read these books, RUNNNNN.

Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Elle Kennedy and it definitely won’t be my last. I will admit that at first I found the main characters difficult to enjoy despite being of similar age. There was one comment about a “hard life” in St Simons Island in Georgia, one of the wealthiest places to live in the Southeast, that really threw me off. But after that, the characters pretty quickly became relatable and loveable.

I very much enjoyed reading about Cassie and Tate falling in love while also maturing in their emotions and families. Cassie’s revelations about her family was very validating on a personal level as a reader.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a vanilla short and easy romance read. You will love these characters but it won’t break your heart to say goodbye at the end.

Thank you Net Galley for sending me an ARC. I was not able to read this book at the time but I plan on buying it and reviewing it when I read it then!

Literally the perfect light, summer, beach read. After reading this book, I realized it was book #3 of the Avalon Bay series. Each MMC of the series are part of the same friend group. While the novels can be read out of order, for the best reading experience, I would recommend reading them in the order they were published.

The FMC, Cassie, takes us back into the Briar University universe. Overall, this book was an adorable, rom-com that touched on a few deeper topics of family drama that is relatable for many.

As with all Elle Kennedy books, it’s a great, light read that feels like a warm hug that always leaves you wanting to read more from her.

Definitely recommend putting this one on your summer TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy, and St Martin’s Press for providing this eARC in exchanged for my honest voluntary review.

I love Elle Kennedy! I had not previously read her Avalon Bay series, so this was the first book for me. But I have read several of her other books and series. While I loved this book, I did not like it as much as her other stuff. I don’t know what it was about this book, the characters just didn’t suck me in as much as her books normally do. That being said, still an excellent book! Nate and Cassie were super cute, the drama was not too over the top. I think Nate and Cassie just lacked the intense chemistry that Elle’s characters normally have. But I still enjoyed it a lot!

ARC READ THROUGH NETGALLEY ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. Something about the Avalon Bay novels just pulls me in and I can't stop thinking about the characters and rooting for them. I really liked both Cassie and Tate and I wanted nothing but good things for them. Cassie returns to Avalon Bay for the summer. It's a big summer for her family, as they sold their hotel (the Beacon to Makenzie from book 1), and her grandmother sold her house. While her dad still lives there, they don't necessarily have the best relationship. Cassie sets her sight on one goal though, a summer fling. She meets Tate and thinks he's a good candidate. However, Tate is worried he'll catch feelings and initially says no. He changes his mind though, and they surprise, surprise end up falling in love until the mistakes of their parents threaten to pull them away from each other. All in all, I really enjoyed this book.

Received this arc from net-galley in exchange for an honest review! This was a fun read, perfect for summer. The romance and comedy were well balanced throughout the book. The setting provided a great backdrop for a beach read. Cassie’s grandmother was the star of this book for me, she really stole the show with her one liners and sass. This was an easy read but I did find the story to be overall a bit boring. Tate fell kind of flat for me and Cassie felt a bit too naive at times. To be fair, I didn’t know this was part of a series before receiving and beginning the book, so I may have appreciated it more had I read the other books, though, I thought it was fine as a stand-alone. Overall, If you’re looking for a new adult summer romance book,
this is a solid option.

4⭐️ I loved stepping back into this world and seeing familiar characters from the other books. This is the third book in a series but it can be read as a standalone. The story takes place in Avalon Bay which is a small beach town which I love. Also, this book mainly takes place in summer and it gave me all the summer vibes which made this book so fun. Tate and Cassie are the couple and the go from strangers to friends to lovers and they are so cute together. That plot twist at the ending I wasn’t expecting so I was shocked for a second, but it felt necessary to the plot so I didn’t mind it. If you want a cute summer romance I would definitely recommend this book and the whole series as well.