I picked up this book on NetGalley as a way to lighten my reading and find some new romance authors. I didn’t know anything about the book or the author, but I was intrigued by the title. The idea of a “good girl complex” seemed like something I could understand, and I’m drawn to stories about small towns, and feeling out of place.

Mackenzie is starting college after a gap year where she made a fortune developing an app where people tell dating horror stories. Garnet College is in a small beach town where the uber rich clash with the lower class “townies”. Cooper, who works local construction jobs with his uncle and brother, has a run-in with Mackenzie’s rich boyfriend Preston, and vows to get revenge by seducing Preston’s girl.

I enjoyed this book but had mixed feelings about it. I liked the two main characters, though I thought Cooper was more well-developed and sympathetic than Mackenzie (despite the rather ugly plot set-up). Mackenzie had potential but was also annoying at times. There were some plot points didn’t seem like they were explored enough. I can’t tell if this is the start of a series, as Kennedy seemed to be starting a number of storylines but not finishing them. Usually a romance will clearly indicate there’s more coming, and this one does not, so my assumption is it’s a standalone.

This book has a very strong 80s vibe, making me realize just how many 80s movies were about class warfare, romance between the (entirely white) haves and the have nots — think Outsiders, Dirty Dancing, Pretty in Pink. Think nasty blond bad guys wearing chino shorts and pink polos. And like those movies, even though Mackenzie is of course more than she seems on the surface, her rich friends and parents were mostly awful. I wish Preston’s character had been more nuanced, though that would have made the plot set-up more difficult.

Which is the major flaw in this story, at least for me. I really liked the way Mac and Cooper’s relationship developed, and I appreciated that Mac had to struggle to fit in with his friends and gain their trust. I liked that Cooper and Mac have a hard time talking about money. I also thought the relationship between Cooper and brother Evan was interesting, though there seemed to be serious issues left unaddressed. But a romance where one character keeps an ugly secret from the other character is always problematic, because I spend the entire story knowing exactly where things are going and internally yelling, “just tell her already.” Yes, the romance formula requires a big blow up at the end, but Cooper’s secret about how he used Mackenzie could have been easily addressed early in the story.

There were also a number of plot points that didn’t work for me, like Mac impulsively buying a hotel (because if you’re trying to show the locals you’re one of them, this is not the way to do it). And the fact that Preston and Cooper don’t run into each other more in this tiny town. I didn’t buy that Mac would know how to fix a roof in a storm. Also the “good girl complex” theme was a little misleading. Sure, Mac is used to doing what’s expected of her, but she’s clearly never tried too hard to fit that mold.

I gather from the reviews in Goodreads that many of Kennedy’s fans are disappointed in this book. Having never read this author, I can’t speak to any of her work and I went into this with no expectations. I found it an enjoyable story in an interesting setting, and I thought some of the side characters would make interesting spinoff stories. But I’m not sure I found this relationship terribly realistic in the long term.

Note: I received a complimentary review copy of this novel from NetGalley and publisher St. Martin’s Press. This book publishes February 1, 2022.

I’d never read a book by Elle Kennedy before but this surely did it for me…I will be reading more books from her for sure!

This book gave me outerbanks vibes mixed with some After vibes minus the whole toxic thing😅

It’s a really nice book, keeps you engaged in. I loved the story, super cute, has some drama but overall a happy book. I loved the characters. Wish some of them where more developed tho. I loved that the story was in dual POV, makes the book so much better!

This book is about Mackenzie, who comes from the wealthy side (known as the clones) and Cooper who’s a local at this small town where Mac goes to for college. Cooper first meets Mac with ulterior motives, but ends up being charmed by this girl that is nothing like everyone expected her to be.

Im so excited for this book to release.

Mackenzie “the clone” has no idea what her rich college boyfriend has really been up to while away at college…however, bartender Cooper does.

I have mixed feelings on this one. I thought it was pretty good, but parts drug on a little…but then it picked up and redeemed itself a little. There was a lot of stereotyping (which I am not a fan of). I thought Mac was a solid and strong heroine in parts…but “dumb” in other parts. Cooper was quite the playboy, and really played Mac. There were a lot of characters in this book, but it is written as a 2 person POV. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t absolutely love it (as I do with most of author Elle Kennedy’s books!). There was borderline “cheating” in this as well (IMO).

I also listened to the audio, which was well done. The narrators did a really good job and I liked it better after listening to it as well. 3.75 stars for this “forbidden romance”/opposites attract romance from me.

Cooper and Mackenzie believe what direction their lives are going until they met. This connection and their chemistry turns both of their lives upside down. Mackenzie questions her life path and Copper finds clarity in his purpose together they are an explosive couple in and out of the bedroom. Elle Kennedy takes you on a wild ride while they fans their happily ever after. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARF.

Classic good girl and bad boy romance! They come from totally different backgrounds. He’s a townie in a college town set near the beach and she’s the college freshman that’s new in town.
Lots of boyfriend and friend group drama. It starts out in revenge and ends with love. It’s a fun ride and I enjoyed it! I love a little angst and banter with romances.
Thank you to Elle Kennedy and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

DNF at 10%. I often like going into books without knowing much of what they are about. In this case - I knew the author, liked the cover and title - went for it. That was a mistake. Once I learned the premise - realized this book isn’t for me. Our hero is trying to take revenge on another guy - by stealing his girlfriend. This is who I’m supposed to be rooting for? No thanks. Pass. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading and listening copies.

I was so excited to see another Elle Kennedy book - I absolutely love her Off-Campus series, but honestly this book just did not do it for me. I liked it, I really liked bad boy Cooper and I liked Mackenzie as well, but I didn't really enjoy the entire concept of the book with Coop going for Mackenzie for revenge and all of the cheating stuff going on.

It did remind me a bit of an early 2000's teen movie that Freddie Prinze Jr. would be starring in. That is not a bad thing, I love an early 2000's teen movie, so nostalgic. I wish there was more plot development, but all in all it was a pretty good book. I'm interested to see where the next book in the series goes.

Good Girl Complex is my first book by Elle Kennedy - she has written a TON of books, and oh boy, have I been missing out! This book was so much fun.

When Cooper, a hardworking, sexy townie of Avalon Bay - a seaside college town, gets fired by a snobby rich college kid - he decides to mess with the brat in worst way... steal his long-time girlfriend.

Mac does everything right. Always a rule-follower and people pleaser, she does exactly what her parents and boyfriend expect of her, and nothing ever, for herself.

Until she meets Cooper.

Good Girl, meet Bad Boy.

Holy moly did this one sneak up on me! I did not expect all the deliciously amusing, snarky and witty banter. Combined with the perfect amount of chemistry and steam, and this drama-filled romance pulled me in so fast.

A really entertaining story of following your heart - no matter how messy things get.

3.5 stars. Good Girl Complex kicks off a new, new-adult series from Elle Kennedy. Set in the fictional coastal town of Avalon Bay, the story has a breezy, beach feeling, with depictions of the boardwalk, seaside bars and seasonal shops. The characters draw from the hometown working class and the local private college full of rich privileged kids. I was getting major Outer Banks vibes, with the townies vs. entitled rich kids conflicts. Fully in the new adult realm, there is some immature drama, lots of good time party action and a predictable story arc. There is also a great setup of a loyal group of lifetime friends. The character development and emotional themes were excellent for the lead characters, and I was fully into Mackenzie and Cooper. Good slow build of emotional and sexual tension.

Elle Kennedy is on my very short list of authors from whom I will read new adult romance. This was an enjoyable read for me, even though I didn't feel it covered any new ground in the genre. I would read more in this series if it continues. This book set up the potential for several other character's stories.

“As the sun dips low in the sky, I walk onto the beach and sit on the sand, listening to the waves and watching the seagulls glide against the wind.“
-I loved this quote because anytime I go through a hard time in life.. I drive to the beach by myself and just sit on the sand and watch the water, for hours. I’ve done that since I was about 20 years old. So 15 years now. I don’t know why the ocean calls my name. But, that’s why I named my daughter Chelsea. Her name means “port by the sea.” No one knows this story. But now all of you do lol. Anyways, the ocean is equivalent to meditating for me. ❤️❤️ Anyways, I just loved the personal connection I had to this book.

This was a super sweet relaxing read, featuring witty kick-ass characters, beachside town, and an adorable pup 🐶. Perfect distraction last week! Thank you so much for sending it to me!

I'm always a sucker for a beach town - it's my DREAM!! This book seriously reminded me of the After series (which, admittedly, I did not like and did not finish) but like, better. It had the same arc of good girl falling for the bad boy, except without the emotional abuse that apparently everyone loved in After??

I loved how confident and self-assured Mackenzie was - she had faith in herself and her ability to build an empire, even though her parents and Preston didn't understand it. She and Cooper had an A+ back and forth banter, and they were both so supportive of each other, despite coming from VERY different worlds.

I was mostly interested in Cooper's side of the story - his family dynamics were really intriguing and I would love to learn more about his brother in a future book.

I did take a couple stars off of my rating just because there was some cheating elements, which I never love to read about, plus some things at the end seemed a bit abrupt, but overall this was a quick read with a hint of steam and a good story!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced e-book!

4.25⭐
R for some 🌶️

If you are looking for an upcoming summer read, look no further because this book is so meant to be devoured on a beach!!

Bad boy meets cute girl because he wants revenge against her boyfriend but instead he falls for the girl? Sign me up!!

Mac and Cooper's chemistry was off the charts in this book. While this book is definitely a rom com with some heavy tropes, I really didn't mind to much because I just enjoyed the banter and the tension and the ~desire~. I will say this book was definitely pretty predictable, but I didn't mind because I just became so invested in Mac and Cooper.

If you're looking for a great beach read where there's a class gap, forbidden love and a golden retriever, I would totally recommend this book. I've had my The Deal by Elle Kennedy on my kindle for ages and now I'm convinced I need to prioritize finally picking it up!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for the advanced reading copy of The Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy.

The Good Girl Complex is a dual perspective romance novel. The first perspective is Mackenzie (Mack). Mackenzie has her life planned out. Graduate from Garnet, marry her rich boyfriend Preston, be a doting wife and mother, and join her mothers charity organizations. She is a self proclaimed good girl always wanting to please her rich parents and even wealthier boyfriend/boyfriends parents. That is until the night she meets bad boy “townie” Cooper who makes her think maybe there is more to life.

The second perspective is local bad boy, Cooper. Cooper hates “clones” and when one gets him fired at the start of the novel he seeks revenge by stealing his girlfriend.

If you are a fan of Elle Kennedy’s previous work, especially her Off-Campus Series, this one is for you!

If you aren’t a big reader of New Adult fiction then this is the poster child for the perfect New Adult story. This type of book wasn’t popular when I was that age. What I would’ve given for a story like this when I was 18-22. I love the college setting in the small town. There are great characters here too. Can easily see this becoming a series.

I can equate this story to something similar to After or Beautiful Disaster. The romance is good and gets a little spicy. You definitely are rooting for the main characters to get together but it gets messy and at times a bit problematic. And honestly that’s the age of the characters. It wasn’t the writing at all - its just in that age range we all make these types of avoidable mistakes.

I may be in the minority but I haven’t read Elle Kennedy’s other very poplar series. I know. SO many have recommended it to me. I unfortunately cannot compare the two here.

I definitely recommend this one if you love the new adult genre. Otherwise if you want to dip you toe in and see what its like - it is a good starter book for that.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for my copy of this book!

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy is a romance novel about Mackenzie Cabot, the "good girl." Mac tries to make everyone happy--her parents, her boyfriend, her friends. Then, one day, she meets Cooper, and he challenges her people-pleasing self. She starts to do what she wants, and she starts to fall for Cooper. What should she do about her parents or her boyfriend? And also, what are Cooper's motives in all this? I enjoyed this romance and found it to be a fun read. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

2.5 stars I was looking forward to this one because I'm a huge fan of the bad boy/good girl trope...but it just didn't hit with me. I'm also a fan of "you did all this for a bet?" trope too because it can bring about some good groveling and drama, but what I wasn't a fan of was the cheating and the casual slut shaming. Although Preston cheats on Mac all the time, I still didn't like when she cheated on him. Isn't that the exact reason we didn't like Preston in the first place and she does it too? And pretty often, Cooper (the MMC) and Evan would say casually sexist things and slut shame others (Mackenzie would too at times) and it just didn't sit right with me! It made it hard for me to root for these characters fully and wholeheartedly. And when Cooper lied directly to her face! I mean, yes he has been lying to her with the bet, but he looked in her eyes and lied and then didn't seem like he was ever going to bring it up again.

I honestly would've DNF'd this if it didn't have such a strong start. The chemistry between Mac and Cooper is definitely there and their banter worked as not enemies to lovers, but resisting attraction so we'll banter and pretend to hate each other to lovers. They riffed with each other pretty well and it was funny at times, too! The romantic scenes weren't really swoonworthy though. There was just something lackluster about them! They seemed almost artificial and cliche at times. The scenes with the puppy and him defending her were intense and really good, though! And the character development and relationship development was there, but overall there was just something missing in it for me. I was waiting for something more and I never really got it. For me, Elle Kennedy's books are often hit or miss and I hate that this one was a miss. I know the series is continuing so I'm hoping I'll enjoy the next one more!

This book was really cute! I enjoyed the relationship between Mac and Cooper. I think I liked the journey of them getting together more than the book after they got together. Watching him put the moves on her during the bet was so cute. And biggest thing, it was able to get me out of my reading rut which has been next to impossible to do! Wooo

Overall would recommend

(ARC provided by NetGalley 🤍)

*ORIGINAL REVIEW ON MY GOODREADS LINKED BELOW*

I was a big fan of the off- campus / briar U series - so when I heard Elle was coming out with a new book I was really excited! First of all, the cover is really pretty and I love the colors.

I love the vibes of this book. If you really like the vibe / aesthetic of Gilmore Girls or Outer Banks then you should give this one a go! It definitely made me miss the summer and I’m definitely going to re read this when the time comes.

Mack (or Mackenzie) is so sweet and easy going but has this really fierce personality underneath. She’s such an aspiring person - she already has her future planned out and even has her own business! But I like how life throws barrels at her her and there because I loved seeing her character growth. She was such an interesting character and I love her.

Cooper is your typical bad boy. Very flirty , and very annoying towards Mack. But then you also have Preston on the other hand.

I loved reading throughout the book and seeing Mack’s decisions as she guides herself through life , picking up the missing pieces of Coopers secrets.

I loved this book so much, it was easy, fun and an all around enjoyable read. I’m so excited for people to find out about this book and read it - and if you’re new to Elle Kennedys fandom i highly recommend reading the off campus / Briar U series as well!

Again, thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press / St Martins Griffin for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book had me hooked from the very start.
Mac and Cooper were able to bring out the best in each other. Mac was able to be more herself and trust what she wanted to do. Cooper started to believe more in himself and work on things he really wanted too.
It definitely had a raw and real feel to it. They weren’t perfect but they tried for each other.
There were very strong secondary characters, and I’m hoping to see more from them in the future!

The summary sounded interesting, but I think the story should have been rated YA for young adult. I am sure it would appeal to a younger reader, but the story was too predictable…boy gets angry at other boy, boy decides to hit back using boy’s girlfriend, boy falls in love with girl, girl learns that she was played, can he win her back? Of course, he can. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)