This story would make a lovely beach read. Cooper is a local resident in the small beach town of Avalon Bay. He is also a twin. He has to work several jobs to make ends meet. He is handsome and broody. Mackenzie is a freshman at the local college. She is from a wealthy family. She is only 20 but has already started her own company and made money of her own. A plot for revenge is in the works when these two first meet. Nothing from this point on goes as planned. The story explores family dynamics from both characters perspective. It sees them growing closer together as they realize they have more in common than differences. It is a very smartly written story that allows that characters to fully blossom.

Elle Kennedy is back again with a New Adult romance, this time set in a small beachside college town where the lower class townies are often pitted against the uber-rich students and their families.

After a trust fund student gets Copper fired from his bar job, he decides to get back at him by stealing his equally high-class girlfriend, congressman's daughter MacKenzie. MacKenzie is disinterested in seemingly everything but running her profitable website where girls post embarrassing stories of their boyfriends or exes. Though she knows she shouldn't she is drawn to Cooper and his "bad boy" lifestyle and has to figure out how far she is willing to go to get the life she wants.

I was excited to jump back into Elle Kennedy's fun college worlds again, but from the start, the premise bothered me. The juvenile bet seems better fit for a cheesy 90's rom-com than a modern steamy romance book. Also, I feel compelled to mention that there is cheating in this book by the main characters. And yes, even if the person she is cheating on is scum and also cheating on her, I was put off by that as soon as it came up and it soured the rest of this book for me.

On the plus side, this book has Kennedy's signature charm, banter, and chemistry that was fun to dive into again, but Cooper and MacKenzie both aren't the most likable characters which brought this book down a bit in my eyes, Even though I disliked the bet, I liked Cooper and how he grew throughout the book. However, it was hard for me to sympathize with MacKenzie and her whining about being forced to attend a prestigious college when I am over here drowning in debt from my time in college. I felt for her with her situation with her parents and how she felt they didn't truly understand or loved her. But when she threw a fit about how she didn't feel she needed college since she already ran a website, she lost my support.

It's missing the carefreeness of the Briar U universe but if you are in the mood for a beach side romance, this might be the pick for you,

While I admire that this novel wasn't afraid to discuss real world issues, i.e. poverty and social hierarchy, this was almost too much for a romance story. This book sounded like it would be a charming vacation/beach read, like most romances, yet the first chapter begins with an attempted assault. I'd suggest including a trigger warning. Also, I didn't realize that it was going to be dual perspective. This made it difficult for me to decipher who was who, and the barerage of characters and dialogue didn't help with that. It reminds me of reading the first act of a play with a wide cast of characters.

Reading more like a young adult book than adult fiction, I wasn’t ready going into this one. It was fine, but I found my attention wandering and, I just didn’t care about the main character. She already had everything at such a young age, and I didn’t need to root for her.

I adored Kennedy’s previous series, The Off Campus series, but unfortunately this book was a miss for me and as of so I will not be reporting this review on my goodreads account as I feel I wasn’t able to come to a clear conclusion on how i feel about it. The first half of the book is hard to get into, wether from the characters being hard to like, or the plot itself sometimes being confusing. The second half definitely was better, all the characters definitely grew, but were still not to the extent I would have liked to see. The thing that made me want to really put down the book was the cheating. Even though it was theoretically “ok” due to the other person cheating first, honestly the best situation would have just been to have a really big and dramatic breakup scene rather than… revenge. It very much put me off and did make me not want to finish the book. Other than that it was a decent book, but not up to the standards I have previously thought of the author.

So the MC in this book thinks near the beginning how she doesn't understand how people cheat and why they don't just break up with their partner. And then she cheats? I don't get it. Her boyfriend was horrible yes but she should have done what she threatened. And also that one lie would have been a deal breaker for me. This book was dissatisfying.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I heard that Elle Kennedy was coming out with a new NA bad boy, good girl contemporary romance set in college at a beachside town, I was immediately sold. The story follows Mackenzie Cabot, as she moves to Avalon Bay to go to Garnet College under her parent’s wishes. There, she meets Cooper Hartley, the town’s local bad boy. Coop assumes that Mac is just a superficial, rich girl at first but soon realizes there’s more substance to her. The two become instant friends and continue to grow their connection. However, what Mackenzie doesn’t know is that Cooper is hiding a secret from her that could jeopardize their relationship. Right off the bat, I loved Mac and Coop’s banter. They had such great chemistry. The humor was so good, it had me laughing out loud from the first couple chapters. I honestly couldn’t stop smiling because this book was so cute. And a huge plus, this book is written in dual perspectives. Both Mac and Coop were such well-developed, interesting characters. My favorite scenes were the ones where they’d just spend hours talking to each other, opening up, and being completely vulnerable. I really connected with them because they just felt so real. Not only that, but I loved so many of the side characters as well. The friend group dynamic was so fun to witness. This is the perfect summer read! I loved the beachside vibes in Avalon Bay: the boardwalk/pier, sunsets on the beach, bonfires, festivals, and carnivals. Honestly, the biggest flaw of this book is that there is no epilogue (I NEED MOREEE)!! But it’s okay because the ending did not disappoint at all. It was so adorable, my heart was about to burst. I will say though that the trope/conflict in this book (you find out at the beginning, but I won’t spoil) isn’t my favorite and is VERY MESSY, but it somehow worked in this instance. It’s a little cliché, but I have no problem with that. This book gave me so many butterflies, made me scream, made me laugh, and had me smiling the whole time! 4.5/5 stars!!

If you’re a fan of contemporary romances, especially the good girl/bad boy or poor boy/rich girl tropes, I definitely think you’ll love this one! <3

I am currently obsessed with Elle Kennedy. I read The Deal a few days before picking this book up and didn't expect to be just as much in love with Good Girl Complex. I loved this Outerbanks vibe romance with a "townie" and a "clone". More than anything, I loved watching both Cooper and Mac find themselves and how to do life on their own terms while also finding each other. What started as a revenge bet turned to so much more and while that bet vibe made me so nervous, the pay off was so rewarding.

I'm sad you say that this book and I didn't get along. The premise was promising, but I felt this just didn't bring anything new to the table. It was full of tropes, which isn't bad on its own, but there's got to be something different, and unique as well. DNF'd at 35%.

The is a troupe after troupe book. Wealthy Mackenzie (Mac) Cabot is starting college at in a coastal college town. Her billionaire heir boyfriend is a senior and both are okay with the family plan that says the two will marry. Cooper Hartley, is the tattooed bad boy townie. After losing a bartending job because of Mac's boyfriend Cooper hatches a revenge plot to steal the girl and embarrass the guy. His twin brother Evan and all his friends are in on the plan. Of course the predictable outcome is going to happen.

The author is able to bring more depth to the characters by having both have neglectful parents. Wealth doesn't buy happiness. But so many choices and decision are just eye rolling stupid. I like Mac. She is an entrepreneur, already making her first million while in high school. And I like that she dumps the guy and stands up to her parents. But she has the money to stay in college so I didn't understand why she drops out other to annoy her parents. And the cheating and lies that are common within the friend groups made me cringe. I didn't see much in Cooper to appreciate other than he keeps the puppy. And I really disliked his twin who feels he can dump on Mac because of all the past wrongs the rich kids of done the townies.

This is geared for New Adults who want a steamy, easy romance. I can pick at little things that didn't work for me in the plot but I will just move on. The revenge plot wasn't my cup of tea but others will feel differently. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. (2.5 stars)

This is one of those books that sounded fun on paper, but in practice I just found it too irritating to enjoy. I don't know if it was the marketing copy or my misunderstanding, but I feel like it was just a lot of tropes and cliches that I can't stand, with little else to keep me going. Predictable (in a bad way, not in the usual romance-y comforting way) and trite, but mostly, I didn't like or care enough about either Mac or Cooper enough for the story to work. Unlike most reviewers I've seen talking about this book, I haven't previously read anything by this author, who I was unaware of until I picked this one up on the basis of its cover and synopsis. So I don't know what I should have been expecting, but clearly, I'm not the audience for this, because I just didn't enjoy a bit of it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Please give me anything by Elle Kennedy. Her style and characters bring so much joy, and her books always capture the best and worst of her characters. This one was no exception to that rule. Can’t wait to see what’s next!!

When I tell you I binged this book… I just couldn’t get enough. This was my first Elle Kennedy and oh my goodness have I been sleeping on her books!!

Good Girl Complex is about a rich girl and struggling townie boy with instant chemistry. What more could you want? I kept picturing Allie and Noah from The Notebook! Her life is laid out for her as a politicians daughter. Mackenzie’s been dating the same preppy guy forever because their families make sense. But there’s much more to her. She’s made her own millions running a website and has bigger dreams than college can offer. She’s slowly figuring out she doesn’t have to be who her parents tell her to be.

She meets Cooper, the hard working, trying-to-survive, townie. He has it out for her preppy boyfriend who got him fired. There’s even a bet involved- really gave me She’s All That vibes. The two instantly have magic between them. They even rescue a dog- shared pet is what book dreams are made of! As a reader you just fall for Cooper immediately and route for him. You’re simultaneously routing for Mackenzie to wake up and take life by the horns!

This story has the perfect amount a drama, struggle, humor, love and a little bit of spice. I started this and ignored the rest of my life for hours on end.

Elle Kennedy has done it again. I loved the Off-Campus and Briar U books so much and this one does not disappoint. It gives huge Outer Banks vibes with the setting, the rich kids vs townies, and the opposites attract type romance. I also love the cast of characters so much and I am so excited for future books in this series and to see the relationships between everyone grow even more. This was such a fun read and I couldn't put it down!

As far as predictable romances novels go, this one was pretty good. I really liked the main character and how she grows throughout the book. The love interest wasn’t my favorite in the beginning since he’s the cliche, “sex personified” type of male character, but his character develops too. Overall worth the read if you’re looking for an escape.

Elle Kennedy is the master of new adult romance. Good Girl Complex is just the latest example of how she takes a romance premise and adds heat, humor, and intrigue, which make it impossible to put it down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cooper and Mackenzie seemingly have nothing in common. Mackenzie is an entrepreneur who spent her gap year developing a successful online business. But, her blue-blood parents insist it’s time to start college in Avalon Bay and spend time with her prep school boyfriend. Cooper works in construction in the beach-side town and has a side gig as a bartender. I won’t get into details of how these two get together since I don’t want to spoil any of the plot, but once these two meet, sparks fly.

I adored this book, and ended up devouring it in a day. Cooper and Mackenzie are great characters, and their steamy chemistry is off the charts. There is also a constant supply of banter and snark. Sometimes new adult romance characters can be annoying and immature, but here the author does a fantastic job of showing their motivation, and the sizable roadblocks they’re up against throughout the story.

Good Girl Complex was fantastic from beginning to end. I wish I could spend more time with these characters! Hopefully there will be other visits to Avalon Bay soon.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

unfortunately had to dnf this book. then first chapter is the pov of a douchey white guy who uses way too much AAVE for me. i just hated reading what i read. maybe one day when i'm truly bored and crave a wattpad-esque type of romance, i will try and read it again.

i'm pretty bummed because i really thought i would enjoy this, since i loved a few of elle kennedy's romances. still, thank you for the arc, i really appreciate it.

Elle Kennedy did it again with another masterpiece! Mac and Cooper are two very different and very complex people. Elle Kennedy took us on emotional rollercoaster with these two and I loved every second of it. We learn that even though these two people might have different stories, they still battle the same demons. Elle Kennedy did not shy away from touching heavier topics, like Cooper and Evan's mother's issues. She made us question what is and is not cheating and made us fall in love with the tattooed bad boy from the wrong side of town who made some poor choices throughout the story. Overall, I love that these topics were brought up and everything wasn't sunshine and rainbows for our characters.

I was hooked right from the beginning but this was the moment I knew I loved the Good Girl Complex
<b>"So, yeah, I think you’re lonely. I think you’re so desperate for a good time you’re secretly glad I walked over here. In the deepest, darkest part of your brain, you want me to give you a reason to misbehave.”</b>

And this one!
<b>“If I’ve learned one thing from rom coms, it’s that you are not allowed to be friends with someone you’re attracted to.”</b>

I was ready to throw down for my girl Mac. Preston needs to get the ass whooping of the century for treating her as shittily as he did throughout the book.

Elle Kennedy kills it with the balance between cute and sexy AF

As always. My only complaint is that I needed another 100 pages of Mac and Coop. Please write a sequel. I need to know about the hotel and the construction business. And Daisy. And Evan. I just need more on Avalon Bay.

Good Girl Complex is the story of Mac and Cooper. Mac is the "good girl"- from a wealthy family who has had her entire life planned out for her. She is dating Preston, who is from the right family and has the right future lined up. Cooper is a townie, leaning into the "bad boy" image with tattoos and rough edges. When Cooper and Preston get into a fight, Cooper and his friends decide to take their revenge by breaking up Preston and Mac, and making Mac fall for Cooper. And since this is a romance, naturally things go awry.

While I enjoyed this book, it was very predictable. The story felt very similar. I also didn't care for the cheating story in the first half of the book. Overall, not my favorite Elle Kennedy book, but enjoyable (if predictable), nevertheless.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press publishing for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I've been a fan of Elle Kennedy's other books so when I saw this one pop up on NetGalley and saw it was about a "good girl" who meets a "bad boy" and sparks fly I was like alright I'm in. This story has a decent amount of angst and drama between our protagonists Cooper and Mac. What starts out as a revenge plot, leads to a sweet relationship with a massive looming lie that we all know is going to come to light. I felt like the middle/end of this book tried to pack in more drama than necessary, instead of dealing with the main conflict we could see coming in the middle of the book we are introduced to another conflict. Other than that criticism, and the fact that these characters feel simultaneously younger and older than their age range of 20-25? This was an enjoyable read. You have your drama, your banter, your sweet moments of support and love, some steamy scenes, an adorable dog and an interesting cast of side characters. If you are a fan of Elle Kennedy and romance give this one a whirl.