I didn’t realize The Summer Girl featured college aged characters, but that’s on me. I generally enjoy my romance characters to be a little older, but the age worked for this story.

I usually hate the miscommunication trope, but I liked it here! The parental relationships/drama added an interesting layer that I appreciated. I didn’t feel like the MC and the love interest’s connection came off as organic and genuine, but it was okay. Decent amount of spice!

The Summer Girl gets a 3/5 for me. I wouldn’t read it again, but I’d recommend it for romance readers that are looking for a college-aged romance. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I’ve fairly enjoyed the Avalon Bay series with Good Girl Complex being a clear winner for me of the three. With that stated, I didn’t hate The Summer Girl, but I also didn’t love it.

Cassie is a 20-year-old who is in Avalon Bay for the summer and immediately connects with Tate who is the golden boy sailor of the crew. I must start with the fact that I thought this story was going to be about Alana and Tate rather than introducing a new character, but I actually liked that twist. I just didn’t like Cassie. She started out as a reminder of my younger self. She’s a virgin that was set on finding a summer fling, enter Tate Bartlett who is known for delivering a great experience while staying as an FWB. Cassie wasn’t relatable to me at all. She was single-focused for most of the book, yet it changed every two chapters. Her character development, while valid, read very woe is me throughout the book. She also didn’t feel like a main character to me which is sad. This book felt the most immature out of the three for me.

The biggest turn-off for me with this book is that it’s following this new trend of very delayed physical interaction. The first spicy scene isn’t until after 50% of the book, and they don’t actually have sex until almost 72% of the book has passed. I wouldn’t have minded this if I saw Cassie and Tate building a connection. The bulk of that time is spent elaborating on pieces from the first two books, background development, and unnecessary family development that doesn’t tie into the story as you’d probably think. I want to believe the relationship is valid and possible when reading romance novels. I just didn’t care about this couple. There are multiple chapters about the Summer Games that could’ve been replaced with chemistry development between the couple. There is way too much shopping and pieces on The Beacon when I would’ve loved to learn more about the characters or their romance. There are several scenes that are mentioned between the couple that I would’ve loved to see played out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Summer Girl was an enjoyable addition to this series. After being introduced to Tate in the two previous novels, it was great getting to know him better. Cassie and Tate were funny and adorable together. Their chemistry was wonderfully natural. I'm a sucker for a friends to lovers, and this book did the trope justice. Unfortunately, the last third of the book separates the reader from the main couple for extended filler describing random beach games and lots of OTT drama with their parents. All that ultimately makes the conflict between the couple sort of understandable. It felt like they parted and reunited very quickly without much emotion.

The third book in the Avalon bay series, follows Tate, the best friend of the Hartley twins as he falls in love with a “summer girl”, Elle Kennedy had me laughing from the very first chapter, no matter what she does or what she writes she always has a way of making the characters relatable and she did it once again in The Summer Girl, Tate is a player, but he always knew that he wanted to find the one he just never felt the onset of emotions that he saw displayed and his parents love, but he finally found it with Cassie, and it was great to see that this player turned into quite a cinnamon roll hero. Another five star book by Eli Kennedy and I hope we get another book in the series following Alana to see if she can finally find some love.

Him and Us - Elle Kennedy's books written with Sarina Bowen - are my favorite books in the romance genre, so I was excited to give another of Kennedy's books a shot. The writing was great, the setting was so well written it made me want to drive off to the nearest beach town. But it quickly became clear that it was another telling of unexperienced girl who doesn't think she is pretty but is actually gorgeous meets small town heartthrob boy who is great at sex but not good at relationships. I've never loved this trope, because it's not something I could ever relate to, and I just think it's so overdone these days - especially in the romance genre.

I am still going to recommend this book to fans of the romance genre and that trope. I personally just wish romance writers would expand and subvert gender roles more often when writing hetero romances. And if Kennedy ever writes another M/M romance, I am so there. She and Bowen did such a fantastic job with that.

I have such a fun time revisiting Avalon bay!! You definitely don’t need to read all the books to enjoy this one, but you’d appreciate seeing all the old characters and their interactions again.

I’ll admit, I had no idea there was a third book to this series, and now that there is, I don’t ever want the books to stop coming! I like how Elle Kennedy tied in the characters to briar U as well- her other spin off series from the off campus (sounds like a lot going on but just read them, they’re all so good!)

Cassie is in the Bay for the summer. She has a complicated relationship with her parents, who are divorced, but her dad still lives in the area with his new fam, and the family beacon hotel is nearing its grand reopening! Since this is the last summer before her final year at briar U, she is set on a summer fling.

Enter Tate! He is the resident f***boy, but he really is a nice/caring guy who leads anyone on. That’s what I liked about Cassie and Tate! Their communication was so good. No games or unnecessary drama. Unfortunately, Tate doesn’t want to hurt Cassie so they start off as just friends. FRIENDS. my gosh do I love me a good friends-to-lovers story, and this one was SUPERB.

It deals with family dynamics, strained mother-daughter relationships, going after what you want and voicing your needs. I loved it! Def cried here or there. But nothing too heavy. And the spice was eggggcellent bahaha

5 stars, and I can’t wait to see what else comes from Avalon Bay!!

I will be honest, I grabbed this one when I could from Netgalley, as every book I have read from this author has been enjoyable and easy to read. This is no different.

This is part of an established storyline, but I read it as a stand-alone, and I think it's fine that way..

Tate and Cassie are neighbors, and meet in the summer before Cassie's last year of college. The basics of the storyline were as I expected, with sizzling attraction between these two. It's an easy-to-enjoy friends to lovers read, that I enjoyed, but parts are a bit cliché.

I do recommend this read, as I had fun with it. It's steamy, easy to connect with, and a quick read. I thank Netgalley and St. Martins press for my free ARC. I voluntarily leave my review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the Avalon Bay series, and The Summer Girl might just be my favorite in the trio! If you are looking for the perfect beach romance, this is it!

Cassandra is visiting her grandmother for the summer in Avalon Bay and she is determined to have a summer fling before her senior year in college. That's where Tate enters the chat. Cassandra and Tate are neighbors whose chemistry is undeniable from the start, but this doesn't stop Tate from putting Cassandra in the friend zone.

Tate takes on the role of wingman to help Cassandra fulfill her goal for a summer fling, but their undeniable spark doesn't fade, and soon the two can no longer deny their true feelings.

I absolutely adored these two characters, they felt very relatable, and while Tate had that "bad boy" vibe, he was still sweet and caring which I thought was a great balance.

Also, the spice in this book OMG, ya girl was blushing at the window scene, IYKYK 🔥🔥🔥

Overall super fun & spicy beach read with some emotional topics intertwined, I highly recommend!

I am rating this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Summer Girl is the third in Elle Kennedy's summer romance series set in the fictional town of Avalon Bay, South Carolina. The Summer Girl follows Cassie, a former Avalon Bay native who has come back for the summer to visit her family, and Tate, a local commitment-phobe who is housesitting for the wealthy family next door. The romance between these two blossoms naturally and is fun to watch. It's spicy and NOT a slow burn. There are a few subplots besides the romance that I thought were really well done. Cassie struggles a lot with sticking up for herself and figuring out her familial relationships. Her divorced mom and dad, stepmom, and younger sisters are all prominent characters. Cassie is dealing with a narcissist in one of these relationships (not a spoiler) and although she is aware of it from the beginning, it takes a lot of personal growth (and influence from Tate) for her to draw firm boundaries. There's a twist near the end that I wasn't expecting at all, but also wasn't farfetched. A lot of commentary on love and relationship in these pages! Overall 4 star read for me, the whole series is definitely worth reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Elle Kennedy and St Martin’s Griffin for this ARC. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series so I was very excited to get this one and was happy to sit down and read it. Okay so everyone needs to enjoy at least one summer in Avalon Bay. Once again this author writes a great summer romcom filled with all sorts of drama - and not just for the young ones. Fun read that is great for the beach. Can be read as a stand alone but more fun having read the first two and the name dropping in this one from the first two novels. Hope she comes out with a fourth in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy of The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy!

For the next book in the series we return to Avalon Bay and meet up with Cassie Soul and Tate Bartlett. She is staying with her grandmother while he is house-sitting next door. She wants a summer fling and although you'd think he would be up for it, he has his doubts or so she thinks. We follow them over the course of the summer reading about their encounters while also getting to know what's going on with the couples mentioned in previous books(which I LOVED). We're introduced to Cassie's family and Tate's as well while also finding out a huge plot twist.

The Summer Girl is a perfect summer read with all the feels of being surrounded by friends, fun games, bonfires, warm , summer nights and lots and lots of chemistry.

The Summer Girl was a change of pace from the other books in this series. While the other ones are fun reads, I wasn't as attached to the characters. This one was just a joyful experience of seeing two genuinely good people get to know each other and go from friendship (with lots of chemistry) to love. The chemistry between Cassie and Tate really comes across. Tate is a fantastic book boyfriend and Cassie is very relatable. There is a twist in the plot and the way they handle it was so right that it cemented this couple as my favorite in this series.

I really liked this story. It was funny, emotional, and steamy. I loved the two MC's. The conflict was interesting with some twist and turns. Overall, enjoyable with a great set of supporting characters. *I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy was great! Cassie comes to Avalon Bay to find her summer fling. She finds Tate. Their budding relationship makes for a really quick read.

I honestly had no idea that The Summer Girl and its characters were wrapped into previous books by this author. That being said, it is very much a standalone book! A great beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the early copy!

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Avalon Bay series, and I enjoyed this book just as much. I loved the banter and dynamic between Cassie and Tate and also loved getting to see Cassie build friendships with the characters from the first two books in the series. Although this book could be read as a standalone, seeing the overlap of characters in the books made it that much more enjoyable. I found the conflict in this book to be super original and surprising and ultimately thought it had the perfect ending.

This makes a great summer read with the perfect balance of banter, spice, and serious elements mixed in!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you @stmartinspress and @ellekennedy33 for the #arc of #thesummergirl

Loved this summer romance it was exactly what I needed to get me through this dreary February! ☀️

This was everything I was expecting it would be, I’m addicted to this beach town and everyone who lives there. This story hits a bunch of new romance tropes that we haven’t seen from this series yet and while some are not traditionally my favourite but it didn’t stop me from consuming this whole book in a day!

#tbr #summerromance #romanceseries #canadianauthor #netgalley #februaryreads #readmoreromance #bookstagram #booknerd

I really enjoyed "The Summer Girl" by Elle Kennedy. The romance fit in well with the rest of the Avalon Bay series and featured two of the most likable main characters of the series. Inexperienced, rich girl Cassie is looking for a fling when she meets handsome local Tate at a beach party. Sparks ensue and it really is an enjoyable time. The Avalon Bay seires reminds me of WB shows in their golden era: nothing would really unfold that way in reality, but you are 100% invested and it's next to impossible to turn away. Definitely recommend to fans of the series and the romance genre.

I always look forward to any book written by Elle Kennedy. This book was an excellent addition to the Avalon Bay series. I loved getting snippets of what the characters from the previous books were up to as well.
I loved the first meeting between Cassie and Tate. I found both characters funny and likable. There were a few parts of their friendship/relationship that gave me anxiety. However, that's the best kind of anxiety when reading a book. I predicted a few conflicts before they actually happened, but the way it was handled was a little different than I expected. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Elle Kennedy. I would read any books that follow in this series.

I could not put this book down- fantastic! Tate and Cassie’s story was the perfect mix of sweet and spice (the window scene was chef’s kiss!). I loved the character development between the two of them; it was nice that the sole focus wasn’t the steamy scenes, they made each other better and we got to see it play out. One thousand percent recommend this one!

I loved returning to Avalon Bay for Cassie’s story!

Cassie Soul is 20 and looking for a fling while she spends the summer in her hometown of Avalon Bay. Ditched by her friend, Cassie finds herself witness to an awkward break up by the ocean. Cassie tries, and fails, to not be noticed by the dumpee who just happens to be the most attractive guy she’s ever met. It turns out that Tate Bartlett, the dumpee, is Avalon Bay’s most eligible bachelor and just might be the perfect guy to have a fling with. Tate quickly realizes that Cassie isn’t the type of girl he usually goes for and, not wanting to break her heart, puts her in the friend zone only then to later realize his mistake.

Overall, I enjoyed the “will they, won’t they” of Cassie and Tate’s relationship. Both Cassie and Tate felt like real people - I particularly liked that Cassie babbles when she’s nervous and that both characters had complex and well-developed familial backgrounds.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!