This is EASILY my favorite book in the Avalon Bay series — I was not expecting to like it so much. Although I liked the first two books in the series, I didn’t think they were anything special. But I was pleasantly surprised with this one!

I adored Cassie and Tate’s characters, both individually and as a couple. I was invested in both of their side stories. This book had a third act “breakup” (which I don’t necessarily love), but the conflict was unique so I didn’t mind it.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a summer romance, especially if you have read the first two books in the Avalon Bay series or are a fan of Elle Kennedy.

i’m such an audiobook girly and i was able to listen to this while also reading along to an e-arc copy of the books and it was such a fun experience! i loved both the narrators and felt they did a fantastic job as the characters!

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

A fun summer fling book! Perfect for a beach read. This one is a dual POV, friends to lovers with a bit of family drama. Cassie is not only navigating her summer friendship/fwb with Tate, but also through her strained relationship with her mother, step-mother and father. I loved how she grew, stood up for herself and ultimately how she faced tough decisions.

This book is an easy, fun read, perfect to throw in the beach bag. It has fun bits, spicy scenes, drama moments and more.
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have never been an audiobook fan but I loved reading this book so I thought I’d give it a listen. The narrator does an amazing job and now I’m audiobook person. Who knew.

I love Elle Kennedy. And I have really enjoyed all the Avalon Bay series. This was no exception. It's a light hearted 3/5 spice level read. I enjoyed that the FMC finally started standing up for herself. And I guess the book followed a somewhat realistic arc when dealing with the conflict in the story. I would recommend this for a summer read.

Soooo freaking good!!! I’ve never thought about a book boyfriend before, UNTIL NOW! I loved Tate so much! The whole story was great!!! So many different emotions felt reading this book! Uhhhhhh can’t rave enough!!!

This was a very cute summer read. The beginning I was a little leaning towards categorizing it as a YA book, but the sex scenes stepped it up and overall I liked the main characters. Not my favorite of the Avalon Bay books but still a good read.

If it wasn't for the sex scenes I would have thought this book was YA. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a very good job but the female sounded very young. I was thrown off at first because of this. With that being said this felt more like a high school romance than an adult one. Also, I can't get passed the crude talk describing women's bodies. It was a turn off for me!

Tate & Cassie's summer fling is full of passion & emotional DISTRESS! & I'm here for it!

College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years. On her first night in town
she meets Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun-loving golden boy! As they quickly go from friends to lovers they realize Avalon Bay is full of secrets and their relationship might not survive them!

You have no idea how excited I was when I got the approved email from NetGalley for this book!
I LOVE Elle Kennedy, & i LOVE Avalon Bay! Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio & Elle Kennedy!

The Summer Girl
By: Elle Kennedy
Narrated by: Caitlin Elizabeth, Teddy Hamilton
Series: Avalon Bay, Book 3
Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
Release date: 07-18-23
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy
Narrators: Teddy Hamilton and Caitlin Elizabeth
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 3 chilis
Pub Date: 7/18

Elle Kennedy has done it again! I have yet to read a book of hers that I didn’t like, but this one might be my new favorite. The friends-to-lovers, dual POVs, and the sizzling chemistry between Cassie and Tate had me hooked right from the start.

College student, Cassie Soul, is back in Avalon Bay for the first full summer since her parent’s divorce. But now that her grandmother is selling their family-owned hotel, Cassie is back to reconnect with family, visit favorite spots, and potentially find a summer fling. That’s where Tate Bartett comes in. A popular figure in Avalon Bay, Tate finds himself enthralled with Cassie, and they strike up an unlikely friendship. But friendship isn’t all either of them wants, and as summer goes on, it gets harder to resist their feelings.

Cassie is an incredibly likable character. Her relatability, kindness, and humor drew me in, making me root for her throughout the story. And then there's Tate, Avalon Bay's charming golden boy. Tate's endearing qualities, such as his sweetness, strong work ethic, and love for his family and dogs, made him an irresistible book boyfriend.

The sparks that fly between Cassie and Tate are undeniable. Kennedy skillfully balanced the steam (of which there was plenty) with a compelling storyline. There’s a crazy twist that I didn’t see coming that added a layer of intrigue and depth to the plot, leaving me on the edge of my seat. I also adored the cameos of Mac, Cooper, Evan, and Genevieve, which brought all three books together.

I alternated between the audio and the ebook, and I enjoyed both versions! Teddy Hamilton is one of my favorite narrators, and he acted out Tate’s voice exactly how I imagined it.
Overall, The Summer Girl is the perfect beach read, filled with witty banter, endearing friendships, and emotional battles that resonate.

Read if you like:
*beachside settings
*boats
*complicated family relationships
*steamy open-door romance
*virgin heroine
*friends to lovers
*"it’s just a hookup"

Thank you so much to Macmillan audio for my free audiobook and to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC to read and review. The Summer Girl will be available on 7/18.

A captivating summer romance with an impactful storyline that left a lasting impression on me.

This book effortlessly weaves together turbulent family relationships, friendships and a beautiful romance that tugs at your heartstrings. It's a story that encompasses forgiveness, growth, self discovery, setting boundaries and the complexities of coming of age. Making it an impactful, thought-provoking and overall heartwarming read.

The chemistry between the main characters felt authentic. Their journey together was filled with both tender moments and heart-wrenching obstacles. It captured the essence of young love beautifully.

I found myself completely engrossed in the story. The author's writing style was engaging, effortlessly drawing me into the world she had created.

I will absolutely be recommending this book!

Thank you Elle Kennedy, Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an Advanced Audio Copy of this book.

Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton did this book justice with their narration , they brought this story to life!

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

Title: The Summer Girl
An Avalon Bay Novel
Written by Elle Kennedy
Narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth; Teddy Hamilton

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this audiobook through Netgalley.

First, the narrators, Caitlin Elizabeth; Teddy Hamilton, were both phenomenal! They both put so much life, character, and compelling emotion into their characters. I am impressed by both in a big way.

Romance isn’t the easiest thing to voice act - especially sex scenes. I mean, can you imagine going into work and having to voice act a sex scene? Truly difficult I imagine. Which is why I give narrators serious accolades for their talents. Their job is not an easy one!

The book, The Summer Girl, itself gets 5 stars.

The premise is simple enough…

The college girl, Cassie, is staying in a beach town in North Carolina for a summer and looking for a summer fling full of passion.

The local guy, Tate, gets dumped by his fling - and Cassie overhears it. Humiliating, and yet, strangely bonding.

The two of them dance around it, but end up going for the summer fling.

Family drama happens and the romance is put to the test.

The plot is simple in a way, but the storytelling is phenomenal!!

I love books like this that have self-reflection, emotional growth, romance, and two solid, good points of view.

I love how we, the readers, get insight into both sexes.

Overall: Romantic, sexy, delicious, and easy to fall into immediately!

My only pet peeve: references to female lady bits as a p* ssy. Not something I like. Outside of that word - solid 5 stars!

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy was a good book! I loved Cassie and Tate with their amazing chemistry. This is the third book in the Avalon Bay series, so I recommended reading them all in order. They have characters from previous books sprinkled throughout. This was a super fun and spicy read perfect for summertime! I also really enjoyed the audiobook and narrator.

Thank you at NetGalley, Elle Kennedy and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with the audiobook of The Summer Girl for my honest review.

The Summer Girl starts of as funny meet cute. The book is a friends to lovers dual POV. It is the 3rd book for Avalon Bay. I haven’t read or listened to the 1st 2 books but you can read or listen to this as a stand alone. I thought I was going to love it but I couldn’t get over how Cassie breast size always kept coming up.

If you’re looking for a light read and a beach romance, The Summer Girl is for you.

Just like when you are in the mood for a cozy holiday romance, there comes a time in the year when you are ready for a hot summer fling and Elle Kennedy is the perfect author to turn to when that time comes, especially her Avalon Bay series.

Book three of the series, The Summer Girl, introduces a newcomer, Cassie, to the regular cast of characters as the FMC. She is visiting her grandmother, the previous owner of The Beacon Hotel, and Cassie brings her own backstory that highlights themes of body image, negative self-talk influenced by a narcissistic mother, and navigating as a child of divorce.

Like the first two books, it is primarily a summer fling with another hot Avalon Bay local, which of course begs the question, what are they putting in the water? Tate, the MMC, is the highlight of the book and his wholesome relationship with his parents is very endearing but don't let that fool you, Elle Kennedy knows how to make a good boy a little bad.

The narration by Teddy Hamilton is as always superb. Caitlin Elizabeth is a new to me narrator and I found her to be skilled at reading as Cassie.

To nitpick, this book felt like a backslide on the maturity scale in this series of books, which may be in part due to having a 20 y.o. FMC and there were some cheesy lines and moments that were borderline cringe. However, this book delivers as an easy-to-read summer romance that entertains you from start to finish. I will surely be adding any new additions to this series to my TBR.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for my advance listening copy!

This is the 3rd in the Avalon Bay series and another fun one, but can be read as a standalone. Cassie spent summers on Avalon Bay for years but after her parents got a divorce she had not been back. Now as a college student she returns because her grandmother is selling the hotel that has been in their family for decades.

She wants to celebrate her twenty-first birthday and have a summer fling. She meets Tate Bartlett who is sailing instructor and adorable, but is not looking for anything serious. Their attraction is instant and they try to keep things casual.

They come from very different backgrounds which could make it challenging. Another fun one. Cassie is naïve and sweet, but unsure of herself. She is trying to navigate her relationships with her parents and stepsisters.

There are some steamy and graphic sex scenes, so be prepared. This story is about several kinds of relationships and a fun and quick read.

This was a fantastic listening experience! Not only was the story likeable, but the narrators also made the story vibrant and fun! This is my first experience with Caitlin Elizabeth as a narrator and I can't wait to shout her name to anyone who will listen.

I'll chat about the story in my review of the book!

Rounded up from 3.5
Cassie is spending the summer in Avalon Bay for the first time in years. But now that her grandmother is selling the family hotel, she wants to spend time with her family, celebrate her 20th birthday and maybe find a summer fling. Tate is no stranger to flings, and he is her neighbor. And once he meets her, he is down for one more fling. And maybe for more than a fling.
This is a friends to lovers small town romance, book 3 in Avalon Bay series, but it can be read as stand alone. It was not my favorite of the series (the second one holds this place) but I loved the setting, so summery, it makes this one perfect for a beach read. It's told in dual POV (Cassie/Tate), and the narration us great in the audio book. I'm really not a fan of her mother (but she is meant to be unlikable). The Beach Games were so entertaining! I loved Cassie's tendency to babble when she is nervous, but her lack of confidence was a bit annoying. She does redeems herself a bit when she finally tells off her mom (yay Cassie!). This book is a romance, but it's also about family and relationships (difficult ones). The chemistry between both MCs wasn't stellar, but the spice was good (that window scene!!!). All in all, this was an entertaining, quick read.
I received an advanced review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy was a great last (I think it’s the last Avalon Bay book) edition to Avalon Bay. Tate was fantastic. Cassie has a lot of baggage and the way everything came together at the very end was like.. oh good god. This is really happening, isn’t it? Overall, I enjoyed this book and I think others will enjoy it too. The narrators did a fantastic job conveying the emotion the characters were going through and I’ve listened to other books they’ve done before. They always put out great work.

Thanks to Netgalley and Elle Kennedy for the early arc in exchange for a review.