Welcome back to Avalon Bay!

I was so excited to receive the ARC of The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy because I absolutely love her other books! Elle Kennedy I think you are my summer staple….keep these babies coming! 😉

👏🏼 Thank you to NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
College student Cassie Soul hasn't spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston.

Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that's been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday….. and maybe find herself a summer fling. On her first night in town, she finds the perfect candidate: Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay's fun-loving golden boy.

Tate, sailing instructor and lovable player, is no stranger to flings. In fact, he's always down for a good time. But the moment he meets Cassie, he knows she's not the girl you play games with. The last thing he wants to do is risk breaking her heart, and so he reluctantly puts her in the friend-zone... only to realize he made a huge mistake.

As Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, they're about to discover that their situation is the least complicated part of this equation. Because Avalon Bay is full of secrets-and their relationship might not survive when those secrets come to light.

Thoughts:
☀️ All the summer vibes
💕 Loved the characters and their interactions especially between Cassie and Tate.
🌶️ Spicy moments
🎧 Loved the audiobook. Great job Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton
💔 Family drama and a lot of complex/strong friendships and relationships which made the story come together.
📖 A fun, page turner that I could not put down!

The Summer Girl is book three of the Avalon Bay series of interconnected standalones. This is by far my favorite of the series! Cassie is back in Avalon Bay to help her grandmother pack up her home so she can go live closer to her family. While she is there she wants to have a summer fling without all the feelings. She just wants to have some fun before she starts her senior year of college. Tate is the town player but when Cassie suggests they have a “friends with benefits” fling, Tate turns her down because he doesn’t want her to catch feelings and get her heart broken. I loved everything about this book…the banter, the angst, the humor, the spice, and the friendships (and getting more of Mac, Cooper, Gen, and Evan). Tate and Cassie are couple goals! I loved the chemistry between them and the sexual tension was there from the get go! I think my favorite part of their relationship was the fun, lighthearted banter between them. It had me laughing out loud several times. However, I wasn’t prepared for the emotions in this book at all! I had to grab a tissue more than once! Overall I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend especially if you are looking for a cute and fun summer read!

I listened to the audio while following along with the ebook and I highly recommend that you listen to the audio. It was well done and Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton really brought this story alive for me. They made me feel as if I was right there with the characters.

5/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶️
5/5 🎧

I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to feel about this book heading in... I liked the first two Avalon Bay books, but they didn't have the same magic that her Off Campus series had. However, it feels like Elle got her groove back, because this book may be my favorite of hers! I absolutely loved the storyline and these characters. Add in the fact that Teddy Hamilton voiced Tate and this audiobook was an absolute dream to listen too. He did such a fantastic job (as always) and I really loved Caitlin Elizabeth too. She wasn't my favorite at first, but she quickly grew on me and I loved these two narrators together.

I loved that Tate wasn't a true playboy, not really. He enjoyed sleeping around prior to this story, but the truth was deep down he was just looking for a love like his parents had. I think it helped that this was a friends to lovers story too, we really got to know Tate before him and Cassy dived into their fling.

Cassy's issues with her parents about broke my heart. This one had me tearing up a little at the end as Cassy finally found out how a mom is truly supposed to act. Her mother is absolutely vile in the beginning of this story and it made me want to scream. The situation with her dad and stepmom also had me breaking, she just felt so unloved and unwanted for so long. She's a strong woman to go through what she had and be as amazing as she was.

I was not expecting the third act to go the way it did. But I really enjoyed how it all came back together in the end. These two were meant to be and their relationship was so special. This story had me laughing and tearing up so often, I just loved it and now I'm officially excited to head back to Avalon Bay again soon.

I loved this storyline! I read Bad Girl Reputation last year and it was not my favourite (I still need to read Good Girl Complex), so I’m glad this one has helped me with loving Avalon Bay. The characters are still extremely young (it’s New Adult and they’re college age, with a virginity plot line), but I did get into it pretty quickly.

There was sooo much going on here - major family issues, selling family homes and businesses and spending one last hoorah on the island, learning about long-ago infidelity and that parents perhaps are real people with real feelings, too. Some are good people, some are irredeemable.

There’s a ton of character development as we go through this one - both main characters are on great personal journeys and I really enjoyed how much they grew up and learned about themselves in such a short summer. While there was drama and heartache involved, it wasn’t a tearjerker to get to the end and I appreciated the whole experience.

A definite recommendation and I of course recommend the audio version, as always! Narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth, who was a great Cassie Soul, returned to her hometown for the summer (aka The Summer Girl), and the magnificent Teddy Hamilton as Tate Bartlett, the playboy neighbour. Teddy was brilliant, as always!

I received an advance read and listen copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and Macmillan Audio, and this is my honest feedback.

Elle Kennedy is one of my favorites - she always provides fun, spicy reads that have plenty of depth. And I appreciate that. I was beyond excited when I got The Summer Girl because I adored Good Girl Complex. Don’t ask me which was better because that’s just impossible.

The fact that Cassie had deep seated issues that stemmed from her parents and had some serious issues she needed to work through made this read even more likable. And Tate cautiously helping her through them? My heart is so full.

I struggled their push and pull, it was either to the extreme or too chill, and for some reason that really bothered me. But when it was good, it was great!

This audio was done so well! I couldn’t stop listening because the narrators did such an amazing job conveying emotions and pulling you in. Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton killed it!

This is an easy, sweet summer read that is MOSTLY lighthearted.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, 2 🌶️🌶️ spice Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advance copy of The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy. Although this title is in the Avalon Bay series it can be enjoyed as a standalone. I did not read the first two books in the series and did not find any issues following the storyline. Will definitely be revisiting the first two books in the series now!

Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton did an excellent job bringing Cassie and Tate to life. This title provided a refreshing take on the "townies vs. summer home" resident class differences with Cassie and Tate connecting despite the differences in their upbringings. Cassie is a well-to-do college student visiting family for the summer while Tate is working non-stop as a sailing instructor and at his family's business. Cassie and Tate find themselves in the middle of family drama that Elle Kennedy did a very good job of resolving quickly (hate plots where the conflict seems to drag on forever!)

This book was a fun, steamy friends with benefits, summertime romance. Although the characters were college-aged, their personalities were mature and did not distract from their character development. The perfect light & fun beach read for the summer.

College student Cassie summers in Avalon Bay, spending time with her grandmother and hoping for a summer fling. She meets Tate, sailing instructor and good-time boy. He's strongly attracted to Cassie but senses her innocence. He friend-zones her at first, but can't resist their growing attraction. Then, family secrets arise that test their relationship.

Cassie is adorable, and Tate is swoony. Together, the chemistry between them is explosive. Cassie is dealing with a lot, given her often absent father and her narcissistic mother. Tate helps her learn to stand up for what she needs. I love how smart, fun, and emotional this book is. The narration is stellar.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Wow, what an emotional read! Fun, witty banter to tears streaming down my cheeks, this book has it all! I have read the book before this so was familiar with this writer's wonderful talent, but this book takes that talent to the next level! The characters that you are supposed to dislike, you will hate and the characters that you are supposed to like, you will love! I want to be careful to not give the plot away as it is too good to ruin with spoilers so let me just say that the characters are extremely well fleshed out to feel very real, the interwoven plot lines are so well crafted that you literally feel the same emotions, whether happy or sad, that the characters do and the dual narration of the book is absolutely the clincher as the narrators infuse the breath of life that only great narration can do! I'd categorize the book as a beach read, but oh so much more than that! I can't wait to dig into more of this author's work!

I've enjoyed all the Avalon Bay books and this one was no different. Cassie and Tate's story was both sweet and spicy. Cassie had always been the good girl - - the one that colored in the lines so to speak. But this summer, she wanted the full summer experience - - all the way down to having her own summer fling. And she set her sights on Tate because he seemed to be the perfect no strings attached local guy with a heart of gold and the body of a Greek god. But the best of plans don't always work out and her plans for Tate go awry.

The way this book was written, I felt like I was squeezing my own toes in sand and smelling the salt air. It was a wonderful tribute to summer and everything it meant to be young and in love.

AUDIOBOOK: The narration was fairly good for the most part. I will say that when it came time for the narrators to do the opposite sex voices, they weren't the best at that, but it still wasn't bad. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both early copies of the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review both of them and the opinions contained within are my own.

4.5 stars

I knew by the first chapter of this audiobook that I was going to enjoy the narration. Caitlin Elizabeth is a new to me narrator and she portrayed 20-year-old Cassie perfectly. Even her male voices were great. Teddy Hamilton is always good, but he could work on his female voices.

Cassie Soul is back in Avalon Bay for the summer to spend time with her grandmother and father. Her other goal for the summer is to find a summer fling. She finds the perfect guy on her first night in town--Tate Bartlett.

This is just the perfect summer read. Tate is adorable. He and Cassie have great chemistry and banter-especially when he is trying (at first) to help her find someone else to be her summer fling. That doesn't work for long as they discover that their attraction is too strong.

There is some family drama included as Cassie's mother is just a horrible person and mother.

This is my favorite of the Avalon Bay series and it's the spiciest. It is book three but can be read fine as a standalone.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St, Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ALC and ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh my gosh I LOVED this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Cassie comes to Avalon Bay for the summer, visiting her grandmother (and father and his family) who still live there. She’s looking for a fling before heading back to college in the Fall.
Her first night in town she meets the incredibly gorgeous, funny and sweet Tate, and thinks she’s found the perfect hookup guy.

They get along so well that they decide to just stay friends - or rather Tate puts Cassie in the friend zone, not wanting to risk breaking her heart. Their attraction to one another can’t be denied, and soon they can’t ignore it anymore.

Honestly both main characters were so easy to fall in love with, it was no surprise they did with each other! Cassie is this adorable rambler, and Tate is considered a f*ck boy who everyone still loves, since he treats them all with respect and honesty.

The tension in this book is yummy, and that window scene 🥵

I totally didn’t expect to be in tears with this one, but I was! There was also a twist I didn’t see coming, which I love.

I tandem read this book - ebook and audio - and Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton did a fantastic job on the audio!

This is the 3rd book in the Avalon Bay series, but can be read as a standalone. Good Girl Complex (the 1st book) does set up some things that happen in this one though.

What you’ll find in the Summer Girl:
⭐️ Friends to friends with benefits to more
⭐️ Cinnamon roll hero
⭐️ Neighbors
⭐️ Virgin FMC
⭐️ Lovable MCs
⭐️ Beachside town
⭐️ Dual POV/first person

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was hands down my favorite of the Avalon Bay Series books. Elle Kennedy took me on a wold ride of summer love, family drama, and self exploration. Tate and Cassie's story was so much fun to read. I also loved how the past characters had their own plots in the story as well. The narrators were amazing also. I listened to all 3 books on audio and definitely recommend them!

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Girl is my favorite in the Avalon Bay series. Cassie is returning to Avalon Bay after some years away to spend the summer with her grandmother. Her dad, his wife and her half sisters live in Avalon Bay, but she doesn't see them a lot. I thought this aspect of the The Summer Girl was really well done, watching Cassie navigate these relationships and find her footing in asking for what she needs and wants. Everything about this tugged at my heartstrings.

Tate is a local boy who is always in for a good time. Despite some initial reservations they end up getting together and I enjoyed every minute. Tate certainly wasn't perfect, but he pushed Cassie in all the right ways, including showing her that it's ok to ask for what you want and need (re: her family).

Cassie's mom is a narcissistic bitch and you could see her scheming a mile and a half away. This caused some issues that did result in a 3rd act breakup, but not in a traditional way.

Despite the heaviness it was a great summery read!

Cassie and Tate just may be my favorite Avalon Bay couple! They seem the most down to earth of all the characters so far. Cassie grew up in the bay. She only moved away when her parents divorced. She’s back for the summer and wants a summer fling. That’s the last thing Tate wants. The more he resisted, the less willpower he had around Cassie. I loved how this summer was also a time for Cassie to connect with her father, stepmother, and twin sisters. Her mother’s indiscretions coming out into the open caused great repercussions for Cass and Tate. I felt that was a pivotal point in the story for them. All was not lost though. Some time away from each other and a conversation between Cassie and Tate’s mom steers Cassie in the right direction with blessings.

Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton lent their talents to voice the characters so wonderfully. Their personalities came to life!

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

I loved this book, and plan on buying the rest of the series. The mfc goes to her grandmother beach house to spend the summer and decided that she needs a summer fling, and ends up gaining a whole new grips of friends. Loved the characters and absolutely loved the spice. The only thing that I didn’t like was when they would do voices for the opposite sex.

Cassie Soul hasn’t been back in Avalon Bay for a whole summer in years, but the time has come. Her grandmother has sold their family’s boardwalk hotel and Cassie returns to the beachside town to spend time with her family before the grand re-opening…and maybe find herself a summer fling in the process. The first night in town, she finds the perfect man for the job: Tate Bartlett. Tate is no stranger to a good fling - he’s always down for a good time! But he realizes quickly that Cassie is not the fling kind of girl and he quickly friend-zones her to protect her heart…only to realize later that he's made a huge mistake. As the pair straddle the line between friends and lovers, they find that the least complicated part of their lives is their relationship. Because when you’re a part of a community like Avalon Bay, the secrets that abound threaten everything that you try to build.

This is definitely not your average summer fling romance. Don’t get me wrong, the tension between Cassie and Tate from the get go is delicious, but the fact that they actually start their relationship as friends is glorious. I’m not usually a slow burn kind of girl, but this slow burn was done in such a fun way. And anyone who reads romance knows that there is a good chance there is going to be a third act breakup - but even that part of the book was handled differently than most!

The relationships that develop throughout the book flow so naturally. Kennedy is able to bring new girl Cassie into the fold while giving us the perfect glimpse into the lives of the residents of Avalon Bay that we already knew and loved from the first two books. I really do love a good romance series - we get to watch different couples falling in love while revisiting a world we’re already comfortable in.

And oh my goodness, the SPICE. Kennedy knows how to write a spicy scene and it SHOWS. And she weaves it effortlessly into a story that is both hilarious and emotional at different points. I spent various parts of this book laughing out loud and crying through all the emotions. Talk about a roller coaster!

This is the first audiobook I've listened to narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth, but she captured the voice of Cassie wonderfully and I look forward to future audiobooks from her. And Teddy Hamilton…listen, if you’re an audiobook listener (especially romance!), chances are you know Teddy Hamilton. I really don’t think I need to expound upon the beauty that is the voice of Teddy Hamilton. IYKYK.

Because we love a content warning, it’s important to note that there are some things in this book that could be triggering to some people including emotional abuse and mentions of miscarriage and abortion.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy is the third Avalon Bay book. This is the follow up to Bad Girl Reputation, which I previously reviewed If you’ve read any of the Avalon Bay books, you’ll be sure to see old friends like the Hartley twins, Mac, and Gen.

I received an ARC for the audiobook from NetGalley. The Summer Girl is dual POV and is narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton. What I love about this series is that each of the books has different narrators, giving all the MCs their own voice. I really loved the narration of this book and felt drawn into Avalon Bay. Their timing and delivery of every line felt perfect.

I really liked Bad Girl Reputation, but I LOVED The Summer Girl. While Evan and Gen were rough around the edges, Cassie and Tate were pure SUNSHINE for me. I am all about the book boyfriend, but I honestly have no idea who I love more, Cassie or Tate.

Cassie is spending a full summer in Avalon Bay for the first time in years. She’s navigating her fraught relationship with her mother, her uncomfortable relationship with her dad and his new family, making new friends at the behest of her grandmother, and even looking for a summer fling. Enter Tate Bartlett. Fresh out of a friends with benefits situation (where Cassie watches him get dumped,) Tate is just looking to have a great time this summer. From the beginning, the banter and ease with these two were spectacular, but Tate decides to Friend Zone Cassie because she’s not the kind of girl you fling. As their friendship grows, so do the obvious sparks and the two can no longer keep away from each other.

Tate is like the most lovable F-Boy ever. He is super hot, charming AF, a sailing instructor, and is good with kids. He’s a good friend, trustworthy, has a great relationship with his parents, and calls his 2 dogs his kids. What I love the most about him is that he teaches Cassie to set boundaries and encourages her to share her feelings with her parents. He genuinely cares about her and when she’s hurt, he’s hurt.

Cassie is so endearing with her positive attitude and looking for the silver lining in every situation. Her awkward rambling makes me love her so much more. She is incredibly sweet and wants nothing more than to be loved by the people that she loves. I love that she starts to take more ownership of her feelings and her life.

Cassie and Tate are so good together and when they’re together it’s 🔥🔥. I felt like this book had less heat, but more heart than the previous book. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of spice, and I found myself so caught up in the story. Cassie and Tate are my new favorite summer couple. I loved them so much I started listening to the book again!

This was undoubtedly my favorite book in this series. Cassie and Tate were great character with wonderful chemistry and fantastic banter. Although this is part of a series it can definitely be read as a standalone and what a fantastic beach read this book makes. I really enjoyed Cassie and Tate as the main characters in this story. Cassie was inexperienced but by no means naive. She was a smart, sassy girl who knew what she wanted and was not afraid to go after it. Of course things aren't always as easy as we'd like and the road to Tate had a few obstacles she needed to overcome. But I enjoyed watching her get through those barriers and move towards her own happiness. I also loved her relationship with her grandmother. Tate is a fun-loving guy who has a reputation as a player but once he meets Cassie he realizes she's not one to be toyed with. I loved his soft and sensitive side and how he treated her with such care. These two were made for each other. There was just the right amount of emotion...and of spice...in this fun summer read!

The Summer Girl AUDIO by Elle Kennedy is a delightful listen, beginning as a story featuring a clueless miss looking for a summer fling but growing to be so much more. There were twists and turns in the plot, for one. Ones I never saw coming. There were decent characters, including the female protagonist, Cassie Soul, who had been born in Avalon Bay but left after her parents’ divorce when she went with her mother. To Boston. Tate Bartlett was a man who loved women, especially the no-commitment hookup. He had the ideal life: he worked for his dad at the boat dealership and in the summer also worked at the yacht club teaching kids how to sail. Cassie saw him as the perfect summer fling but When her friend MacKenzie warned him not to hurt her, he backed off. He housesat next door to Cassie’s grandmother every summer and it turned out his bedroom faced Cassie’s. They developed a friendship, mostly through texting across the night. He really liked her.

Cassie’s life was complicated with a stepmother who didn’t like her, twin sisters whom she adored, and a mother who was a complete narcissist, in the clinical sense. She was an artist and very creative. So much so that she made up stories to tell the girls and approached her ex-step-brother to illustrate it. It was fabulous. Her mother came early for her visit and almost seemed approachable. Cassie waited for the other shoe to drop, which eventually it did. In a big way. Tate finally gave in and gave Cassie the fling she had been looking for. It was a really great story.

The story was narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton. Each time Teddy started a chapter he sounded liked a gangster but then smoothed out. Caitlin was a terrific Cassie. Altogether it was a great listen. I recommend it for listening while you are floating in the pool.

I was invited to listen to a free audio version of The Summer Girl by MacMillan Audio, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #ElleKennedy #TheSummerGirl

Absolutely love the writing in this. The small town coastal town are perfect vibes. I couldn't get into the narrator of the audiobook but overall it’s a very good read.