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.

This book..wow. Just wow. Elle Kennedy is a cult favorite for smut books but this is her first book geared towards an audience that goes into the stores to buy the books and wants an illustrated cover. I absolutely loved Cooper and Mac. It was just so perfect and the right amount of spice.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the characters! It was so cute and fun, and once I got into it, I couldn't put it down!! A quick and enjoyable read and it will not disappoint!

I've read the first 30 percent of this book but I am struggling to get in to the story. At this time I have decided to not finish it for now. I did somewhat enjoy what I have read so far but it is not enough to push my to keep going for now.

I enjoyed this small town storyline. This opposites attract with a twist will captivate you from the beginning to the end. Cooper and Mackenzie have great chemistry and flirty banter. Definitely worth the read.

3.5 stars!

I did enjoy this book, but it's one of those situations where if you start to think too hard about it, that enjoyment turns into frustration. So if you just read for a fun and good time, you'll be good, like brain candy! I love Elle Kennedy's writing style, so this was a quick read that was easy to get into and some loveable characters in a fantastic location! But the plot was a bit messy, which made the pacing feel off, and there were a few tropes that could have been avoided and made things much better!

I do want to mention, especially since it's not in the blurb, that this is a revenge-plot book, and I really didn't think it was necessary! I think if they would have met organically with everything else the same, it would have still completely worked. Also, there is a lot of infidelity that happens, both in conversation and on-page, so if that's a potential trigger for you, read cautiously! Mac is in a relationship for the first 50% of the book and Cooper's goal is to break her and her boyfriend up for revenge. Now granted, her boyfriend (and frankly her family too) is an absolute trash excuse for a human being, and he deserved it. But it's hard to pace a romance so it works when the whole first half of the book the heroine in a relationship with someone else. Also, cheating is seen as the norm in their friend group, so again, if that or love triangles isn't your thing, this might not be the book for you.

The characters do read very young, but EK does paint a gorgeous picture of this seaside town and the people within it. Was the plot chaotic and a bit all over the place? Yes. Were there things I wanted more and less of? Absolutely. Did I still find myself carried through the story? Sure did! So this is a nice, fun, but definitely new adult, read.

Good Girl Complex is full of angsty love and self discovery between Mackenzie “Mac” and Cooper. Mac reluctantly agrees to go to college and get a degree but she would rather be focused on her business than becoming a figurehead in her already arranged life. One night Mac meets Cooper and something changes in her life-she was half asleep until Cooper opened her eyes and she shakes up her life. Finally doing what she wants Mac starts a new business endeavor as well as a relationship with Cooper.

Cooper didn’t expect Mac-he thought she would be just another clone but boy was he wrong. In Mac he found support and encouragement which led to his desire to be better and invest in himself. They both judged each other quickly, assuming they were opposites, but they soon realized they are more alike than different. Mac and Cooper form a deep connection on top of their physical attraction leading to a meaningful relationship but not without a few bumps in the road.

This was my first Elle Kennedy book I’ve read- I have several of hers sitting on my tbr waiting and now I’m moving them closer to the top. I loved the dual POVs and the depth of Mac and Cooper. This was so much more than a budding love story it was about personal growth and found family. Excellent read.

Rating 4.5 stars


Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Rich girl/ bad "Townie" boy -- I was excited for this book that I was graciously given an ARC for by Net Galley; however, it didn't live up to what I've come to expect from Elle Kennedy. Not even the presence of an adorable rescue pup helped this book work its way to 4 or 5 stars. The major conflict was telegraphed for the reader in the first couple chapters, it felt slow at times, wasn't particularly spicy, and the setting felt generic. My biggest gripe is that Mac is meant to be a "Good Girl" but she isn't -- she owns a well-loved internet page, is ultra-privileged, and is going to college to appease her parents. These traits a good girl do not make. Her choices and characterization fit other tropes much better. Cooper is the bad boy Townie and he pursues Mac as a way to take revenge on the privileged college kids that take over his college town during the school year. I was much more interested in the character growth of his brother, Evan.

Mac has always followed the rules. Growing up part of the elite society, she’s always followed certain expectations from her parents and her boyfriend, but she’s tried of it. But when she goes to college and meets local body boy, Cooper, he turns her world upside down. Cooper usually hates trust fund kids, but as he gets to know Mac, he starts falling for her, but a secret he’s keeping could ruin it all.

Once I started this one, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the growth that occurred in both Mac and Cooper’s lives and how they were able to learn from each other and grow as a result of knowing each other. This unlikely couple had me rooting for them and it was so fun to see them surprise even themselves. There were a lot of fun side characters as well, and I’m hoping for some spin off stories for some of their friends!!

I loved how the audiobook had two narrators - I think it really helped solidify the two perspectives and really get into both characters heads. The narration was full of emotion and I thought both narrators did a great job!

Thanks to SMP Romance, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copies.

Good Girl Complex takes place in Avalon Bay, a coastal college town where homegrown townies and rich college kids clash. Local bad boy, Cooper, wants to get back at the rich kid who lost him his job by seducing his girlfriend, Mackenzie (Mac). Of course, they end up falling for each other. But their backgrounds are completely opposite - Mac grew up very wealthy and Cooper has dealt with absent parents who didn't provide. This creates a lot of tension throughout their relationship, not to mention that the relationship started with a lie.

Ultimately I think the problems I had with this book were that it was just SO unrealistic. If anyone actually commutes to college in a helicopter, I will eat my hat. And it's not just one character that has the richiest of rich upbringings. Additionally, some of the writing and things characters said were just so cringy - people don't actually talk like that. The ending also felt very rushed and the couple did not in any way resolve their issues. And boy did they fight a lot/have a lot of angst. The characters were likeable enough but I also wasn't compelled by any of them and I don't have any desire to read the rest of what I assume will eventually be a series.

2.5 stars rounded down.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a love story about two people from different upbringings. Rich sheltered college girl and the broke scrappy hot guy from town. It was a good read and it flowed really well, and they were a couple you wanted to see get a happy ending. Also the end was super sweet. The big problem or main dilemma really wasn't that big and didn't really boil over until later than I thought it would. But I liked both the main characters, and I loved Conner's brother, too. And I wouldn't mind reading about something horrible happening to Mac's ex hahaha, he was the worst.

I’ll be honest, I almost bailed here. I actually scanned from about 10% on. I took this as a light-hearted romcom from its cover. But no. This is a revenge romance/rich girl, poor boy trope filled with mean-spirited, immature young adults (early 20s).

Cooper, a local “townie” bartender fights Preston, a “clone” rich college boy who becomes too handsy with his waitress friend. Cooper is fired. He and his “high school” friends plot revenge by having Cooper “take” Preston’s gf Mackenzie away from him. What are we, six-years-old on the playground??!

Reading about a bunch of immature adult friends sitting around and laughingly plan for Mac’s fall and Preston’s humiliation is not my idea of an entertaining book. This whole story felt like it might have been written two decades ago, with “hot”, testosterone-driven guys racking up conquests left and right, whether by foul or fair means. Ugh!!

Yes, there was a HEA, but after wading through the mire, cheating, and lots of “hot” times, it wasn’t worth much to me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsGriffin for providing me the free early arc of #GoodGirlComplex for review. The opinions are strictly my own.