Member Reviews
Spicy, sweet, and just utterly entertaining! I think this is my favorite out of all three in this series. I hope she does more because they give such good vibes. This also got me out of my reading slump because of the smut!!! Definitely recommend if u love Elle’s books!
Thank you to NetGalley and st martins press for this ARC. This was my first read by Kennedy and although this is the third book in the Avalon Bay series, I was able to follow it. I enjoyed the chemistry between Cassie and Tate and I thought the spicy scenes were written well. Unfortunately I didn’t like some of the themes in this book and I found myself skimming a lot of it. It had one of my least favorite tropes, but I did enjoy the ending.
Easy summer read. I loved the characters and the next door window romance. Thought the family strife added a little extra to the plot.
I thought this was a really good book I would have enjoyed it more in the summer I wish I would have waited. I did really enjoy this though I’m going to try other if her titles in the summer
I’m so surprised at just how much I enjoyed this. I haven’t read the rest of this series, but I have read other books by Elle Kennedy so I had a sense going in of what to expect. The summer vibes were SO welcome, I loved the characters and Avalon Bay as a whole. I thought the balance between lighthearted banter and genuine growth of the characters was well done. While this is a mostly character driven book, I thought the third act really shined, especially with the emotional sinkhole Cass and Tate had been pushed in. A lovely beach read, and I will definitely be checking out the rest of the Avalon Bay stories this summer!
I love Elle Kennedy books….usually. But there was just something about this couple I didn’t like. The writing and story were great like I have come to expect with this author but sometimes you just don’t vibe with characters and this was the case for me. I just wasn’t rooting for them like I usually do when reading romance books. I would def say it’s a me not them thing.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for honest review.
So first of all before I start this review I want to give a big thanks to Net Galley and Elle Kennedy for the opportunity to read this book. Now for the actual review every time I read another Elle Kennedy book I always remember why I love her writing and Summer Girl is no exception. This book brought us back to the world of Avalon Bay with the story of Tate and Cassie and how one summer and one conversation can change everything you thought about life. So when it comes to Tate's character I have loved him since "Good Girl Complex" and I was hoping he would get his own book and he did and it did not fail me. Tate is one of those characters that you cheer on from the beginning and keep doing it. Tate's character was maybe the stereotypical playboy character that finally falls in love but that doesn't make him any less lovable. Tate made me see this type of character from a different point of view with his parents and how they handled their issues and still were able to be in love and move through the difficulties together. That brings me to Cassie and the love I have for her character and what she was out through being young at the divorce of her parents and having to deal with a mother who had the problems that her mother had. Cassie makes me remember that we all have moments of insecurity and that it's normal to have those thoughts but we also need a Tate in our lives that tells us that they don't see those flaws that we see. Now that we are past the characters let's talk about the actual story, it's a different type of concept I have not read in a while so I really enjoyed the FMC being the one who was the one to bring up this concept to the MMC, and the concept being they are each others summer fling and Tate being the king of flings, Cassie thought he was the perfect person but Tate said he will not ruin his friendship with her over a fling that ends badly, because someone always falls in love with the other at some point, this time it just happened that they both fell at the same time. So, I'm not going to give any spoilers but miss Elle Kennedy shocked me with that 3/4 way through plot twist. Now to the rating, this book is getting a 4.5 from me because it was a great book with a great plot and characters but I did have some issues with the filling senses and how they really didn't make me forget about the original plot and drama of the book and that is one of the reasons I like the fill senses so that way I can see how these characters would normally interact and be without the drama and the specific plot-related story line. But, overall this is another book I would read again. Thank you again to Net Galley and Elle Kennedy for letting me read and review this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Solid 3.5 stars! Such a cute summer vibes romance! Honestly it was my least favorite of the Avalon Bay series but it was still a super cute read and I enjoyed!
Small town
Slow burn
Drama
Summer vibes
I liked the characters and the story. It very easily grabbed my attention and kept my attention! Easy to follow dual POV.
I received a digital copy of The Summer Girl via NetGalley to read and review.
I’m rating 3.5 stars rounded down to 3. I liked Cassie and Tate’s story more than Gen and Evan in Good Girl Complex. You can read this as a stand alone or part of the series.
This was so cute, but read like a YA book that tried too hard to be smutty. I was drawn into the story, though disappointed at how obvious it felt. I did appreciate the twist with the mom and dad and HATED the mom's character.
Cassie is spending the summer with her grandmother on Avalon Bay. The hotel she owned has been renovated and she will be moving. Cassie and her grandmother have a wonderful relationship, unlike the antagonistic relationship she has with her mother. Cassie’s dad lives there also with his 6 year old twins and new wife. Cassie feels her dad has replaced her with the twins. Before she begins her last year in college, Cassie is looking for a summer fling. The first really attractive guy is Tate and their first encounter looks promising until he tells her they need to just be friends. He is her wingman and very protective of her. I loved this book. The characters are great and there is a lot of romance and surprises along the way. The community of Avalon is very close and I liked how Cassie was accepted even though she was one of the privileged families. It was fun watching Cassie interact with her stepsisters and stepmother. The changing relationship with Tate was also fun. I loved the relationship Tate’s parents had with each other.
Elle Kennedy definitely knows how to write a book that I want to binge. I think this book would be perfect for anyoone looking for:
- summer romance
- audience moving out of YA into New Adult
- college aged romance
- small town
- some spice but not too much
And while I read this fairly quickly and had fun reading it, I found both of the main characters to be unbearably immature and one-dimensional. I felt like Cassie's entire personality was defined as having big boobs, rambling when she talked and being a 'copper', NOT a ginger. Oh, and she has no idea how to flirt with men. And Tate was honestly like most of Kennedy's male leads: a playboy who is actually a bit of a teddy bear.
I loved the small town beach setting and was definitely craving the atmosphere that the book was bringing, but I was really hoping for some more depth to these characters. I also can't skip over some of the dialogue, which once again just felt very young and a bit cringy at times to me. Examples:
When Cassie is trying to ask him to be her summer fling:
"Will you fling me?" she blurts out. I blink.
"Sorry, what?" I blink again. "You want me to throw you? Like, into the water?"
"No! Why would I want you to throw me into the water?"
Separately, the male main character couldn't watch the FMC lick her lips without wanting to "rip her clothes off":
"Fuck." He groans softly. My forehead creases.
"What?"
"You licked your lips."
"Yeah, and? They were dry. So I licked them and now they're moist--oh my God, what a horrible word. Moist. Isn't it horrible? I'm sorry I said the word moist."
"Lip licking is my goddamn kryptonite. I can't see a woman do that, especially this one, and not want to rip her clothes off."
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for the attributes I listed at the top of my review, but probably wouldn't read again.
This is the 3rd books in the Avalon Bay series and it didn't disappoint.
Cassie came back to her hometown one last summer before her grandma leaves the town behind And her unexpected run-ins with Tate have not disappointed! In the market for a summer fling, she has found her target. And while that is usually his MO, he resists and the tense build begins! Not to mention, some unexpected family ties that cause more bumps in the road along the way.
Great read! For me, it started stronger than it finished but I still really enjoyed it. I thought the main character had great chemistry. I highly recommend!
I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. (Now go buy it & get to reading!)
A summer fling… what could truly go wrong?
This book was exactly what I needed to get out of the reading slump I didn’t know I was even in. To be thrown right back into Avalon bay was a plus! Being able to see how the town functions and seeing all of the characters come back into play in their own way. This book enters the life of Cass and Tate. This book is packed with childhood trauma; not just from Cass side. It was a nice read. I didn’t find myself forced to stay into the story. I actually wanted to see the outcome. To see how Avalon bay truly made an impact on those who live there. I wish I had a summer place to visit that felt more like home than our true home.
Thank you to NetGalley, St martins press as well as Elle Kennedy for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Elle Kennedy for this ARC! It was so cute and really made me want to take a beach vacation. I understand that there are two other books before this one with some other characters, it’s not necessary to read those first, but I enjoyed the book so I may check them out! This was a cute beachy summer book, loved the storyline, the characters, and the ending.
In this third Avalon Bay we get to know Tate and Cassie. The only thing I really remembered about Tate from the first two novels was that he was known as a player and seemed to be super friendly. In The Summer Girl, we get to see that while he does seem to be a player, he's not a jerk; he is really friendly and always up front about his not wanting a relationship so that no one gets hurt and it seems to have worked. So you can imagine Cassie's disappointment when she propositions him to be her summer fling--no strings--and he declines because he wants to be 'just friends', especially because he seems to be the perfect fling: he's hot, friendly, fun to be around, and doesn't do relationships. With no other choice but to accept his friends only offer, Cassie and Tate embark on a summer of friendly fun.
These two are truly perfect together--they're both really good humans and seem to meld together well, which makes sense when you know that both of them are seriously attracted to the other, despite the friends only thing happening. The more time they spend together, the more you enjoy them both: Tate has such a wonderful relationship with his friends and family and everyone seems to adore him and Cassie has a crummy family life but a group of girls and a grandmother who all swoop in and fill in some of the empty spaces her parents have left. Poor Cassie has such a crummy situation and the more Tate learns, the more he wants to be there for her and help her find her voice and her happiness. I adore them both.
As alluded to in the synopsis something terrible and unexpected happens and it really shifts everything for everyone and it's heartbreaking and maddening and so frustrating...and there's really nothing Cassie or Tate can do but live with it and through it (I had a major case of the sads at this point). But Elle Kennedy doesn't do us dirty and gives Cassie and Tate the HEA that I really wanted for them and now I'm super excited for the next book in this series (there are some characters I'm super curious about!).
This is by far my favourite in this series. Loved the neighbour aspect. I found their story the most interesting one in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! The Summer Girl is the third installment of the Avalon Bay series and, unfortunately, my least favorite.
It's not that I didn't not like the book; it's just that I felt like the characters didn't have enough depth and vulnerability. I felt like Cassie (FMC) went on a lot but didn't get to know much about her however, Tate was even more mysterious in the sense that we didn't get to know much about him. It was hard to find the chemistry between the characters, as the details felt rushed and forced, which was a little disappointing. Limited character development for both FMC and MMC
Things I liked about the book:
1. Simple read, easy to follow
2. Dual POV friends to lovers
Something about the writing for this one felt very young and immature. There was great tension and its a good beach read but I could not get over the dialogue and immature writing style. I enjoyed the previous two books in the series much more.
Thank you St Marin’s press and NetGalley for the ARC.
Super cute book and would be a GREAT read for the beach!! Was a quick read and the author kept your attention that you wanted to know what was going to happen next and I did not want to put the book down, especially after things started to “heat up!” Loved this book and would highly recommend.