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.

I personally have not read any other novels from Elle Kennedy. However, I was so into and dedicated to this novel that was an early edition graciously given to me from NetGalley.

The book has a lot of characters, not all main and not all important but it helps to keep them straight.

The arc was great and I was rooting Mac on the entire time.

My only qualm with this is I would have loved to hear more from her parents towards the end of the book about her hotel. Maybe this means there might be a sequel??

Elle Kennedy is a staple in NA romance. There are few others who combine a simple storyline with every day, relatable issues so well, even if one of the characters is rich as sin and the other poor as dirt. Welcome to THE GOOD GIRL COMPLEX.

I loved Cooper and Mac. I read in other reviews that people tend to dislike Mac - not sure why. I thought she was a sweet, hard-working person, despite having been born with the literal silver spoon. She stood out because of her down-to-earth approach, even though she tried to solve every problem with money. Cooper taught her a lot in this regard.

Cooper, likewise, learned a lot from Mac. Being a proper douchebag at the beginning, he soon comes to love Mac's sweet nature. She teaches him how to be a better person. [I wasn't a big fan of the cheating part since I think there always has to be a really good reason for it. A boyfriend who is a two-timing jerk isn't one. (hide spoiler)]

THE GOOD GIRL COMPLEX is all you want and expect of this author. Lots of smiles and laughs, epic one-liners, likable characters who still have an edge. This rich-girl-poor-boy story is a cute new start to this series and I'm looking forward to what else Elle has in store for us!

3.5 ⭐️

Tatted bad boy Cooper Hartley gets into it with an entitled rich university student Preston, costing Cooper his job. To get his revenge, operation get Preston’s girlfriend is in effect. Mackenzie is of the same entitled breed, but I there’s more to her as a person, and Cooper develops real feelings. With polar opposite lifestyles, could Mackenzie and Cooper handle being in a relationship?

Ok, real talk. I loved that this was an NA romance, and I loved Kennedy’s writing. Smooth as butter flow we’re talking here. But, the whole infidelity, lying, and using people—not really my jam. I got AFTER vibes, too. I did enjoy the other characters (whom I assume will have their own books too) and the personalities, dialogue… I still enjoyed it! The grand gesture was sweet. And, I always love a tatted bad boy.

I absolutely loved reading Good Girl Complex.. There was so much character growth between the characters and I loved the friendships in the book.

Don't be deceived by the cover, there is definitely some spice and I loved it.

I liked how this was new adult book. I haven't read many books that are set in college and I loved that the girl did her own thing with her website and another thing that happened in the books.

I also loved how the romance plot changed too.

Good Girl Complex is my first five star rating of the year and I definitely would reread it in the future.

Okay, first of all disclaimer: the tropes in this book are usually tropes I avoid. I'm not sure if I wasn't aware of what the actual storyline would be, or if I was just blinded by devotion to Elle Kennedy books (because, for real, she's written a long list of faves), but I picked this one up anyway and discovered early on that it was packed with troublesome tropes.

Because of that, I felt like I had a really hard time <i>investing</i> in the story. See, what's troublesome about these tropes for me is that I am braced for impact for the entire story. Are they cute together? Sure. But I know what's coming. Were there some adorably sweet moments? Sure. But...wait for itttttt. Was my heart won over completely by the addition of a rescue puppy that they were mutually adoring of? Sure. Buttttttt.

So that's kind of how the story went for me. It was <i>good</i>. It was engaging in a way that made me not want to put it down and I genuinely <i>liked</i> these characters, for the most part, both as individuals and as a couple. I really liked Cooper's story arc and the family bits pulled my heart completely into the story. But I'm not sure those things were enough to overcome the fact that it also stressed me out a little bit.

So, in the end - <i>Good-Girl Complex</i> wasn't my favorite Elle Kennedy story, but it was a solid start to a new series. I'm not sure how I feel about most of the secondary characters at this point, but I'm definitely interested in doing a deeper dive on them and can't wait to get more in the future! ~ Shelly, 3 Stars

Omg Cooper Hartley sounds like a dream! Mackenzie and Cooper grew up completely different but both go through similar situations making them more alike than they think. A good girl falls for a bad boy and he does not disappoint. The book gave me a little bit of Outerbanks feels and a bit of the After series plot but it was great nonetheless. Elle Kennedy did a great job and I felt like I understand the characters well and loved seeing their romance grow and see how they ended.

This book started off strong for me. I was immediately drawn to Cooper and the beach town setting. I was horrified but intrigued at the same time by the revenge plot storyline. I liked how Mackenzie and Cooper met and their instant chemistry and connection. Cooper was cocky as hell but I was into it! Their was some major forbidden romance tension building between the two and I enjoyed it.

I think ultimately I couldn't say that I loved this book because of the characters. It's a new adult book with college aged characters and I think I'm starting to realize that this subgenre isn't for me. Characters in this age group are a bit too immature for my taste and I found myself rolling my eyes or shaking my head at some of the things they were saying or doing.

This book was entertaining because of all the high drama and the steaminess, but overall, it wasn't for me.

Cooper Hartley and his twin Evan grew up in the shadow of Garnet College, a school filled with rich entitled “clones.” When Cooper sees one of them harassing his friend, he picks a fight, and the clones, Preston Kincaid, threatens the bar owner until Cooper is fired. Cooper and his friends hatch up a revenge plot: Cooper is going to try to lure Preston’s girlfriend away from him and then publicly dump her. Mackenzie Cabot has a good girl complex - the daughter of a wealthy senator, image has always been everything, and she thinks perfecting hers will garner more attention from her parents. Mac and Preston have been together for four years, and she assumes he is her endgame; she’s wife material after all. But bit by bit as Mac gets to know Cooper and come into her own, she chafes against the path laid out before her and aches to make her own decisions.

Look, this book wasn’t for me. It’s not a bad book, but I’m not the target audience and it isn’t what I usually read. It’s NA college romance, and I couldn’t get over how young all of the characters felt. Stylistically, I don’t care for first-person present-tense writing, either. I highlight the revenge plot here in my review, because the blurb doesn’t mention it and it’s the motivation behind Cooper’s pursuit of Mac.

That said, there were definitely things I liked. Mac doggedly pursues her own passions, at first within the bounds of the image she’s curated, and then as she grows she’s able to step out side of those expectations. The chemistry between Cooper and Mac is palpable, and despite the revenge plot motivation, you want to cheer for them the whole time. While the external struggles that Cooper and Mac feel are very different, and can be attributed to poor-kid vs rich-kid problems, Elle Kennedy is careful not to privilege one character’s emotional baggage over the other. It’s also so easy (too easy?) to hate Preston and his friends.

Pick this one up if you enjoy new adult romance, campus drama, and coming of age + romance growth arcs.

Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for sharing this e-arc with me. The following review reflects my reading experience!

I’ve been loving romance lately so when I read the blurb for Good Girl Complex I knew I had to read it. This book is a fun romance with mild steam. I really enjoyed it! I will say that the beginning with Cooper’s reason for going after Mackenzie is a bit problematic. However, I still found Good Girl Complex enjoyable. It was fun, fast-paced, and full of good romance!

Good Girl Complex is set to be released on February 1st, 2022.

Well, we can't all be princesses...Snide comments, judgemental thoughts, and prejudice is where the trouble starts. Revenge and dumb decisions add to the mess but the icing on the cake, is falling for the girl.

Good Girl Complex is the beginning of the end for Captain Dipstick Kincaid, he has a different name in the book. (I totally picture him in yatching clothes and a Captain's hat!) Welcome the bad boy experience...

Torn between the life she survives and living her life, Mac learns more about herself than she bargained in college. She just didn't learn it going to class. 😉

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. Bother Cooper and Mac were sassy and engaging, and I loved their relationship. That two people who come from different walks of life could find common ground with each other. I loved that they both challenged each other in their beliefs and helped each other face their biggest insecurities.

I did think that Cooper was an idiot for keeping the secret the way he did. Or even starting the revenge scheme in the first place. But overall, I loved reading this book and Cooper and Mac are one of my favorite book couples.

i loved the off campus series by elle kennedy. i was SO excited when i got approved for this book because i enjoy the writing. a story about a small beach town? sounds like a DREAM

i loved cooper. so much. the relationship started off messy but it was lowkey fun

my one complaint was the ending,, it felt so… rushed? also THERES NO EPILOGUE? ELLE WHY DO YOU HATE US I NEED ONE

3 stars for “Good Girl Complex” — I’m completely grateful to have gotten an ARC of this novel don’t get me wrong, but it was provided in order for an honest review so here we go. Let’s just say this one was a bit hard to get through…not so much in the sense that it was bad—but for me PERSONALLY it just didn’t give. Mac was a pretty solid character and I did like how she wanted to build her individuality and break the stereotype of a preppy rich girl but aside from that, nothing else about this really got me toes curling, giddy giggling, and hot and bothered. To avoid spoilers, the trope was pretty set in stone and isn’t one you can really do something different and be versatile with, so the events leading after it were pretty predictable. I just…I don’t know!!! AGH! Admittedly, I have missed EK’s writing but specifically for her Off-Campus/Briar U fans, clearly this isn’t in correlation to the series but in saying that, the writing and vibe is definitely different. For girlies reading for the smut, a couple scenes semi-served for a second but I just think they lacked build up and overall the ending felt a bit brief/sort of rushed. I had SUCH a tough time deciding my take on this novel but in full transparency it wasn’t apart of my absolute top favorites, but nonetheless I’m still very thankful to have been able to read it!

This was a cute Rom com read! We have a bit of opposites attract, rich girl/poor guy and a very untimely bet which leads to lots of obstacles in the way of our main couple. I was hooked from this as Cooper won me over quickly inspite of the chip on his shoulder. It took me slightly longer to warm up to Mac but she definitely won me over as she started to break out of her shell. And I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two! Definitely pick this up for a light and easy Rom com book!

We all love a bad boy meets good girl story! Although these characters are from completely different worlds, they feel a gravitational pull toward each other. I really liked that this book was written from dual POVs but I still wanted more from the characters. They didn’t quite jump off the page like I was hoping. This book will be a good summer read for fans of The OC, 90210, and the film After from Netflix.

Elle Kennedy is such a delightful author. Fans of her Briar U & Off Campus' series will love this book. It has a lot of what you come to expect with Kennedy, but in my opinion is a little more mature.

I have been on an Elle kick lately and when I saw she had a new one with new characters I was all over this.

Copper lives in a College town where he encounters rich “clones” all the time. They think they are better than him and the other locals and can do anything they want without consequences because they just throw around their money.
When one guy takes it to far and gets him fired, Cooper decides that enough is enough and he is going to get a little bit of revenge.
He is going to take something that doesn’t belong to him.

Mackenzie has always played the role of perfect little rich girl. She may not always want to but she always falls in line.
Mac has been with her boyfriend for years because it is what is expected. Even though there is not really a deep love, it is comfortable. The future is set out for her to play loyal wife who supports her husband while she gives up any dream she may have had.

Enter Cooper. He is going to get Mac to fall for him all in the name of revenge.
That’s is until he realizes that there is something different about her and his black and white plans just got a little grey.

Mac grew on me as she started to come into her own. Once she decided she was done playing the role everyone else expected her to play and be who she really was and wanted to be.
I loved Copper and the whole group of friends.
Copper loves his family and friends fiercely and once he realizes that Mac isn’t who he assumed from the start, he softens fairly quickly to her too.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
4.5 stars for me!

This was a fun, dual perspective, steamy new adult summer romance between two twenty somethings from opposite sides of the track.

Mackenzie is from wealth and privilege and is dealing with the mounting pressure of her parents and boyfriend to live up to societal expectations for a woman of her class. Her idea of what she wants out of life starts to change when she begins summer school at a college on an island and meets Cooper, a hot townie she has trouble keeping away from.

Their relationship has a lot of ups and downs with a juvenile type of bet but I really loved Cooper and his twin brother Evan. The brothers are working hard to make something of themselves despite having a toxic mother. This book gave me a lot of Gilmore Girls and Jennifer Weiner summer reads vibes. Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance review copies!!

2.5 stars

This New Adult novel features expected characters and an expected storyline, and while this may sound comforting and appealing in these trying times, the complete package is a bit of a letdown overall.

The perspectives switch between the two central characters, and for me, they had little to offer. One character is a (recently fired) bartender and self-described "townie," and his ways of resolving conflict include physical altercations and revenge dating: a catch! The other is...a wealthy person who isn't like every other wealthy person (she is, though). This one, Mac, is young, but that's no excuse for how weirdly clueless she is. There are flashing warnings all around her, but she sees none of them. She's too busy being offended by her mean, boring professors (*sighs forever*) and making heinous financial and life decisions. Don't worry, though. She and the guy with no coping mechanisms are going to save each other (still sighing). Be sure to join her in noticing how cool it is that a sexual partner doesn't even hesitate when she asks him to use a condom. Does he...get an award for this?

I really enjoy women's fiction and romance, and this is just a basic version of both. There are a lot of missed opportunities here. Perhaps others find this appealing (!!!), but when a male partner in an adult hetero relationship refers to a female partner as "Princess" without the slightest hint of irony, I'm finding that gross, not romantic or anything close. Readers who find this charming may be a better audience than I am.

After over a month of trying to read the electronic version and getting only two chapters in, the audio arc helped a lot; I flew through the remainder in one day. Readers drawn to this book because of its related genres, cover, or even title should consider scrolling further in the queue. Sadly, you've already read this one in many other iterations.