So I LOVED Good Girl Complex and liked Bad Girl Reputation but this one fell a little flat for me.

I liked Cassie and I really liked Tate. The romance between them was fun and I enjoyed reading how they were able to get over some of their past issues to find love.

My problem was for the first time ever, I felt like I was a little too old for the storyline. A lot of the initial concerns/conflicts were juvenile and SO much was based around their parents. As an adult in my 30’s, I of course love and respect my parents but I am too old for them to make decisions for me. Now I know the characters are young and it makes sense for that to matter but I just couldn’t get over it!

I still love Avalon Bay and plan to read more in this series if she continues.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Read this if you like:
⛵️ A player finds love
⛵️ Family drama
⛵️ Summers at the beach

The narrators were good though I felt the female voice was a little whiny at times.

"The Summer Girl" by Elle Kennedy is a light, beachy read that revolves around Cassie, a portrait artist, and her quest for a summer fling in the charming town of Avalon Bay. While on the surface, the story is shallow and light, the author tries to add some depth by delving into complex family dynamics, but it falls short in terms of engaging storytelling and character development.

Cassie's summer adventure begins with the goal of losing her virginity and experiencing a memorable romance. Enter Tate, the local charming golden boy, with whom Cassie finds an unexpected connection. However, what starts as a fling soon turns into love, complicating their casual summer plans. Aside from the romance, the novel also explores Cassie's strained relationships with her divorced parents, her mother being a narcissist, and her father seeming indifference to her life.

The inclusion of family drama and the potential for character growth offer glimpses of depth in the story, but they fail to make up for the lackluster dialogue and unconvincing romantic storyline. The banter between Cassie and Tate feels forced and sometimes cringe-worthy, detracting from the overall reading experience.

The chemistry between Cassie and Tate lacks authenticity, and the romance lacks emotional depth. The character development for both leads remains superficial, and some plot twists feel contrived and unnecessary. The book's pacing and engagement also falter. I struggled to maintain interest in the middle of the story.

In the end, "The Summer Girl" falls short of expectations. While the family dynamics add a glimmer of depth, the weak dialogue and underdeveloped romantic storyline hinder the overall enjoyment of the book. For those seeking a quick, breezy read, this might suffice, but it lacks the engaging storytelling and well-crafted characters I would have needed to rate it higher.

Cute, sweet book revolving around Cassie, a young woman, who is spending the summer with her gram. But her gram is phenomenal! She loves spending time with her! But, she has just sold the hotel that has been in their family for over 50 years!
And Tate, a young guy, who seems to be a real player with the women, but also, leaves them on good terms so that they all love him.
She’s from a broken home. Her parents split up over a decade ago. Her Mom got custody of her, and her Dad didn’t even fight for her… and she’s still hurting…
She and her Mom have a difficult relationship, still…
He’s from a solid family. His parents are married and so in love! And, he has a great relationship with them.
They meet up on her first weekend there…she wants badly to have a fling with him, but he wants to keep her in the friend zone.
It progresses from here. We learn so much more about their families…and friends…and the twists that come will shock you!
Very sweet, but felt to me like more of a young adult book…
So, only 3-3 1/2 stars for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC of the audiobook.
Releases today, July 18th, so if it sounds good, look for it today!

It was going well until it shifted to the male main character's point of view. I'm sure he gets better but I don't have the patience to wait it out.

DNF at 6%

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can’t tell you how much I love this series! It’s so good and absolutely perfect for the summer. Cassie and Tate we’re so much fun to read. I absolutely love the connection that they have with one another and how much goodness they bring out in one another. They have great chemistry, wonderful banter and so cute together! I also had the pleasure of listening to this book on audio, and it was such a great experience. The narrators did a wonderful job bringing our main characters to life. If you’re looking for a sweet summer read for a day by the pool or at the beach this is the perfect book for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Summer Girl is the third book in the Avalon Bay series by Elle Kennedy and it is the best one yet. I really enjoyed this steamy beach read. This could be a stand alone, but the characters from the previous books to make an appearance in this story. The friends to lovers trope is strong with a few sizzling scenes which is always fun for a lite beach read. The female generational relationships are dysfunctional, but only makes the story stronger. Mainly, I really liked the slow burn and couldn’t put the book down, well actually, stop listening. The audiobook was great. The story was narrated by two actors and the male lead has a dreamy voice.

3.5 Stars

*Can be read as a standalone.*

This was a light-hearted and fun read about Cassie and her journey to find a summer fling. It's a typical YA romance with a few steamy scenes. Even though the drama at the end was rushed and came out of nowhere, I enjoyed it because it brought more depth to the storyline. I only wished it didn't all happen at the end.

If you're a fan of YA romance and summer flings check this novel out.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

This was my first Elle Kennedy novel and I enjoyed the story. It was waaaay more “spicy” than I prefer & especially the Tate sections were pretty vulgar. It was what a guy that age would have talked like though. I thought Cassie’s Mum Victoria was a real piece of work & an anomaly in their family. Lydia & Cassie are great but Victoria was gross. No kid deserves a Mom like that. I really wanted to know what happened with the auction since Cassie was trying to win the spa package but they never resolved that. The window scene was super steamy & I kept thinking they were going to get caught by someone. I liked the storyline and I loved the ending. On the whole I think this was a fun summer read.

The alternating narrators were fabulous and added so much to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review.

This was a very sweet romance, but it wasn’t JUST romance. I loved the main character and her growth throughout the story, and also her family dynamic. The narration was excellent as well.

The audio on this book was very good, the narrators did a great job. I just couldn't get into this one, which is just an issue of mine, not anything with the writing.

This will be a great summer read for those looking for a quick and light read. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the narrator.

Cassie's grandmother is selling the hotel in Avalon Bay that has been in the family for decades. Now, Cassie heads there for the last time to celebrate her birthday and find a summer fling. She finds Tate, a local sailing instructor, who is the perfect candidate.

As the two walk the lines between friends and lovers, they discover there is so much more beneath the surface. It was such a sweet romance and possibly my favorite of the three books in the series.

I listened to the audiobook and read the e-book of The Summer Girl and I LOVED both! It’s my new favorite in the Avalon Bay series, and is a wonderful summer read! It was full of great banter, drama, and a wonderful love story.

4.5 Stars. Cassie Soul plans to have a causal, no-strings-attached, passionate summer fling. Plans quickly go out the window, *hint, hint*, when she is friend-zoned by candidate #1 Tate Bartlett. This was was delightfully funny, lighthearted, and adorable. The perfect beachy summer read. I have not read the previous books in the Avalon Bay series and I still thoroughly enjoyed this.

A few things I didn’t like: (spoilers ahead)

-I do not like to read sex scenes from the male POV, **especially** the first one.
-Not a fan of the “third act breakup”, even though this one was written very well.
-I was not a huge fan of the female narrator. I went back and forth between print and audio for that reason.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

Happy Pub Week to Elle Kennedy and The Summer Girl! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ALC (Advanced Listener 🎧 Copy) for an honest review!

📅 The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy was published on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. 📅

There is something to be said about summer love, lust, and crushes. There’s magic in the air, sunshine in the sky, and serotonin in abundance. Walks on the beach, windows down with music blasting, snuggling under the stars, holding hands, and hot passionate kisses. Summer nights seem like they never end.

For Cassie and Tate, love is unavoidable…no matter how hard they try.

Cassie Soul spends the summer visiting her grandmother 👵🏼 in Avalon Bay, where she was born. Her grandmother, long-standing heiress of a fancy hotel in town, has decided it’s time to sell. Cassie is there to say goodbye to the hotel’s past and hello to the hotel’s future. A young woman has purchased the hotel and is planning to make updates while preserving its integrity and past. She befriends Cassie and invites her to a party.

Local playboy, Tate Bartlett, is at the party and is always down to have a good time. When Tate and Cassie first meet, he knows that she is not the hookup type. She gives off the vibe of wanting to settle down and have a commitment. Tate is shocked to learn that Cassie is looking to have a summer fling before going back to College. Tate finds Cassie to be down to earth, funny, and sweet but automatically friend zones her because he would not be able to live with himself if he broke her heart. 💔

They flirt the line between friendship and lovers throughout the summer recognizing that they can both learn a lot from one another. Together they uncover secrets, stand up to the negative people in their lives, and learn how to be their most vulnerable and genuine self.

A perfect summer read that will make you want to fall in love (even if all over again)!

This is book 3 of The Avalon Bay series but can be read as a standalone. Other books in the series include: 1) Good Girl Complex and 2) Bad Girl Reputation.

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy is such a fun summer read. College Senior Cassie has a complicated past with Avalon Bay after her parent's messy divorce and her grandmother selling her family's legacy. Nonetheless, Cassie is excited to spend the summer with her grandmother and hopefully have an exciting summer fling.
Tate moved to Avalon Bay at 12 and quickly fell in love with the seaside village, his family's life with his dad's boat shop, his parent's endless love, and a massive group of friends. With summer just around the corner, Tate looks forward to the new group of summer girls who take on Avalon Bay, working and sailing.
When Tate and Cassie meet, they have apparent chemistry, highlighted by the teasing and fun conversations that follow their interactions. The two have a fun summer as they become a summer fling, but what happens when family drama comes out and there may be deeper feelings than just an innocent summer fling?
This book has such a great cast of characters and locations that this is the perfect summer or beach read. While this book deals with changing family dynamics and the importance of family, it does not take away from the overall fun vibe that comes from this book. I loved getting to read both Cassie's and Tate's points of view.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light summery read with a little bit of spice and a whole lot of attraction.

Honestly, I just couldn’t love this one. There wasn’t enough in the actual story to really capture me in.

The twins are supposed to be 6, but the author has them act as if they’re 3ish.

There’s a whole lot of divorced parents “poor me” type of inner dialogue that honestly just drove me nuts,

Then the family secret came out and the way that whole thing was handled was so…. Unrealistic, I guess? Idk this one just didn’t do it for me.

3 stars, because I think the younger crowd might like it, it just wasn’t for me.

I have really been enjoying the Avalon Bay series by Elle Kennedy. This is a new adult series that follows a group of friends who live in a sea side town popular for tourists to visit in the summer.

This is a fun small town romance with the city girl coming to visit the town for the summer only to fall for the “townie”. There are some really complex family dynamics tackled here that makes it not you everyday summer romance. But this would still make a great beach read!

Thank you @Macmillian.Audio and @Netgalley for my opportunity to listen to this one early!

I loved this book! I was really sad to not have another Hartley twin to read about.. but that went away very quickly for me. Tate and Cassie have chemistry, but he becomes her wingman to help her find her summer fling.

I love how awkward Cassie is and how Tate teases her. I love their nicknames for each other. I love that they tried to put off the inevitable.. and clearly lost lol. I really enjoyed this whole book!

The audio was done well too! At first, I didn’t love Tate’s voice.. but it grew on me and having both narrators really made it a fun listen!

I love Elle Kennedy and her Off-Campus and Briar U series. If you loved it those, I think you will enjoy this one!!

I love Avalon Bay. This was a great welcome back with the Beacon's re-opening.
Cassie having family struggles, made it very relatable.
I loved the Gilmore reference in it.
The audio narrators were great! I enjoyed listening to this one.
There were some hardships for Cassie and Tate to overcome, but the ending was chef's kiss.