Member Reviews
I've been fortunate to receive arcs of all three of these so far and I've loved every single one of them
* The perfect summer read. Sit back, relax and enjoy
* College coed Cassie is back in Avalon Bay for the summer. Looking for a fling
* Tate doesn’t date. But finds himself wanting Cassie
* All the summer fling feels, sweet romance and experiencing firsts
* Friends to lovers
* Family tie drama
* 4.25 stars
5/5 for performance by both Teddy Hamilton and Caitlin Elizabeth
Okay, if you haven't started the Avalon Bay series by Elle Kennedy, DO IT! She's seriously a hilarious and addictive author! I just finished the third book, The Summer Girl. In this one, we head back to the small beach town for a friends-to-lovers story that I couldn't put down. I think it is my favorite in the series. It had romance, spice, and drama. It's the epitome of a summer beach read. The main character, Cassie, is such a sweetheart, and you can't help but root for her. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between Cassie and Tate. The sizzling heat and banter were on point. They had the perfect summer fling, and I loved it. The dialogue was hilarious, and there were definitely some steamy parts that got me all hot and bothered. Whew, that window scene was oh, so good and hot! But the real kicker was the plot twist at the end - I did not see that coming, and it hit me right in the feels. Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton did an incredible job narrating this story! They brought the romance and drama to life. It was delightful to listen to. Their narration was super easy to follow, and it all flowed together so nicely. I highly recommend it!
Audio was really well done! Loved both narrators. The only issue I had was the woman narrator’s voice as the young twins. Her voice was more of 2-3 year olds, not 6 year olds. Read this book in under 24 hours, it was so good. Loved every bit of it!
THE SUMMER GIRL
Elle Kennedy
THE SUMMER GIRL is Elle Kennedy’s latest installment in her AVALON Bay series. This is the third book. I have enjoyed every installment so far. They have become a part of my reading life during the summer, and I can’t imagine letting the warms days go by without a Kennedy rom-com to read.
THE SUMMER GIRL stars Casse and Tate. Cassie is inexperienced but very curious and looking for a summer fling. She finds Tate who is just interesting enough and who coincidentally just broke up with his girlfriend. He just might be the right guy for right now.
Tate has a reputation for dating around that should make Cassie question her choice, but it only adds fuel to Cassie’s fire. Complications arise when Tate decides he likes Cassie enough to make her a friend, The fling will have to wait.
THE SUMMER GIRL is that perfect FRIENDS to LOVERS romance book. I appreciated the tension created by this trope and Elle Kennedy did a great job developing a dynamic between the characters that was propulsive and exciting. I know now that I can always count on Kennedy for her characters to have chemistry and THE SUMMER GIRL was no different.
I recommend you check out the series, at the beginning preferably.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy and for allowing me to provide feedback.
THE SUMMER GIRL…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good narration
Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily listened and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
This is by far my favorite of the series! I laughed out loud, blushed bright red during the spicy scenes, and cried, YES CRIED!! This book got me to my core, and I can’t explain the way it made me feel reading this amazing masterpiece of a book. I love these characters and this series so much, but Tate and Cassie take the trophy! I loved the games - they reminded me of GreekWeek from college, Cassie’s struggles with her parents resemble my own, and I just want to know how Elle Kennedy got inside my head?! This book was phenomenal and i’ll read it again and again!
The narrators are phenomenal. I loved the portrayals of the MCs and the way I felt their story come to life! I listened to this whole series and these narrators made the whole series so enjoyable and fun! I highly recommend for audiobook fans!
I enjoy Avalon Bay and the crew. The first two books came together due to the hero’s being twins. I enjoyed this one because it was all about a whole other character.
It felt a lot more like a YA than the others for me and that stood out as I read. But overall a good book.
3.5 stars. An easy, fun summer read. There isn’t anything outstanding about this book but I enjoyed it all the same. There were a few meaningful moments between Cassie and her family members that made the book a bit better for me as they added a deeper element. I listen to the audio version and I found the narrators voice a bit immature for the age of the characters. I had to remind myself that they weren’t high-school students often.
Amazing amazing narrator. ! She gave the book character and I enjoyed how well she changed voices and tone when it needed to.
This was such a great summer read.
While it has the usual mix of flirty fun, beach scenes and coastal town vibes, this romance reached deeper and really explored more serious family conflicts than I had expected.
I really enjoyed the dual points of view from both love interests, the tense slow work up to romance, and the more substantial messages about communication and family.
This is one of the best romances I've read this year.
I think this is my favorite in the series so far! Although I feel like that happens every time I read a book in this series! They are just so so good. Cassie was such an awesome character. She was so funny. I too babble when nervous. It was very endearing. Tate is the sweet hottie you definitely want a fling with. This one made me cry but also laugh. I sure hope there is a fourth book! The narration was so good too. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Looking at the cover for this audiobook I knew this could be the perfect poolside summer read - and it was a cute friends to lovers story, there were obstacles but none too big to overcome. The book had enough depth to make the characters real and not just shiny and perfect but it stayed light and was a joy to listen to while running errands and watching kids at the pool.
The audio was narrated by a male and a female voice for the alternating chapters and Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton did a great job recreating the scenes through their voices.
While being the third book in the series this was my second return to Avalon Bay after reading Bad Girl Reputation last summer but these book work as standalones, yes you get an update on the relationships that have developed in previous books but the focus is on the new couple and the update is not an extensive subiect - the plot from previous books does not get rehashed so you can still read those after.
Absolutely loved this story and narration. The characters were real and I wanted them to achieve their goals. Very enjoyable. The book is R, so not for the young or conservative.
Such a fun and easy listen! Being my first Elle Kennedy book, this was perfect! Avalon Beach sounds like a place If like to be all the time. The way Tate is with Cassie was so stinking cute! I am not normally a fan of the miscommunication trope but this one was well done
The storyline was okay. As for the audiobook format it came off very childish and the narrator’s voices did not fit the characters.
I want to start off by saying that I am a huge fan of Teddy Hamilton and he along with Caitlin Elizabeth made this book for me! They were the perfect casting choices. I have listened to all three Avalon Bay novels by Elle Kennedy and all were great. The Summer Girl is officially my favorite of the three and I think the narrators helped solidify that! I was so emotionally invested in Tate and Cassie’s individual stories and their story as a couple. Their banter was top notch, as all Elle Kennedy couples are, but there was just something about these two. I connected so much to Cassie and loved her little sisters and how much they loved her and I was so happy we got so much of her backstory. I felt that it truly benefitted the book. I laughed and I cried listening to this book and I truly can’t wait to listen again soon! Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book for an honest review.
Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses cheating and an almost forced abortion. Deals with a narcissistic parent. Contains explicit sexual content.
“The Summer Girl” follows Cassie Soul, an almost senior university student living it up in her last summer before college is over. She hasn’t been to Avalon Bay in ages but is back for one last summer with her grandmother, who is selling the hotel that has been in the family for decades. All Cassie is looking for is a summer fling, she just wants some fun and a great summer. And so in comes Tate Bartlett, a sailing instructor and perfect fling material—except he feels the chemistry he has with Cassie is too precious and so pushes for it to stay platonic… but with feelings this strong, will they be able to not cave into the attraction? And beyond that, if they do, will it even stay as a summer fling?
It is not secret I’m a huge fan of the Avalon Bay series, and Cassie’s story definitely didn’t disappoint. Elle Kennedy comes back to this coastal town as spicy as ever and I was there for it—the only caveat was Cassie’s mother, whose narcissistic tendencies really seemed outlandish and straight-on annoying. I was mad half the time but I was also giddy and giggling half the time, so take that as it is.
I honestly cannot recommend the Avalon Bay series enough. “Good Girl Complex”, “Bad Girl Reputation”, and “The Summer Girl” bring in the perfect summer-y series. With mostly likable characters and worthy heroes and heroines, this romance trilogy with captivate your heart, no questions asked.
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ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
A great summer listen with some funny stories and likeable characters. I really enjoyed listening to this! The story had great little twists and adventures that had you rooting for the best outcome. Can't wait to read more by the author!
This book was leagues above the first two. It was so good! Cassie and Tate are my favorite couple in this series!
The relationships were so well done, all of them. The friendships, the familial relationships, and the romantic ones. The writing was great! Elle Kennedy really stepped up her game with this book.
If Elle keeps writing stories like this, I will keep reading them.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.