I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've read Kennedy's Off Campus and other college books so I was thrilled to get an early start on a promising new series.

MacKenzie Cabot is from a wealthy family and after taking a gap year to grow her successful website, is to start college at Garnet College, a fictional liberal arts university somewhere on the South Carolina coast. Her boyfriend Preston Kincaid is a real D bag and womanizer.

Cooper Hartley is a hard working "townie" who gets into a scuffle while tending bar at one of his gigs with Preston, who sexually harassed one of the waitresses, Cooper's friend Steph. Once Preston lays unwelcome hands on her, Cooper punches him. His boss has no choice but to fire him because Preston's daddy owns half of Avalon Bay property, which tracks as Preston treats women like property.

Cooper and his twin Evan, and their friends decide to get revenge when they see a picture of Preston with his unsuspecting girlfriend MacKenzie. Cooper decides to get Mac to sleep with him and shove that in Preston's face. Cooper later withdraws from her revenge plot when he gets to know Mac and that's she isn't like the other "clones", a derogatory nickname for the rich students and families who summer in Avalon Bay.

This book got more enjoyable as I got through the first half, but as readers we know the truth always comes out and when it does, it is a doozy. It would have been better to tell Mac what her cheating ex did rather than for it to be a big secret that explodes. Her parents are real pieces of work too, and while Cooper and Mac bonded over shitty parents, the author also focused on Mac's interest in being an entrepreneur and not a typical princess who is spoiled and obnoxious. Especially as the friend group unfairly misjudged her and keep things from her when she was getting to know Cooper, before she dumped the dude. It was only when Preston started attempting to make decisions for her and her parents being fine with that control, that she decided she was done.

I'm interested in future book featuring the twin brother Evan, there's real potential for additional books. Will definitely recommend this book to fans of New adult romance.
4/5☆
TW for sexual harassment, unwanted groping and alcohol abuse.

I don’t typically read new adult romances a lot because college kids are…still very kid like in their logic.

But Elle Kennedy does new adult well, balancing the optimism and sometimes myopia so prevalent in younger adults with the burgeoning senses of responsibility, loyalty, and honor that develop in maturing early twenty-something’s.

Mackenzie and Cooper are very much still growing as individuals, breaking free from the expectations of their families and communities. And while they are brought together by a clash in values and an ill-considered vengeance plot, their relationship develops such that they transcend who they thought they were to themselves and to each other.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I look forward to more Avalon Bay stories!

I really enjoyed both off-campus & the briar u series so when I saw Kennedy was releasing a new book I was excited and had high hopes! But unfortunately this one just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The whole plot just didn’t really vibe with me. There’s cheating and childish revenge plots that I wasn’t really on board with. I found myself not really liking any of the characters, they both kind of annoyed me. I also felt the relationship felt very rushed in a 0-100 way. And then there’s a part when she buys that random property it just felt chaotic? Like I didn’t feel like any of the characters or their reasonings were fleshed out at all. Overall, I didn’t think it was necessarily a bad book, but definitely not one of my favorites.

*thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for providing me with a ARC in exchange for an honest review*

4.5

Cooper and Mac’s story had be hooked from the start! Omg I couldn’t get enough of these two and I loved how well we got to know them!

Kennedy really spent her time building up our characters and their foundation! I loved how open and care free Mac turned out to be! She is her own woman and though at first she was timid and I wasn’t sure about her as the story went on and she grew I really loved who she became!

Cooper also showed a lot of growth and not just him but those around him! They really had a lot to learn and seeing all of them overcome in this book just inspired me and had me loving not just the two main characters but all of them (except Preston he can eat a bag of rocks)!

I wasn’t expecting a bunch of heat in the book but WOW was I surprised in the most amazing way! The hotness level is a definite 5!!

I really enjoyed The Good Girl Complec for a multitude of reasons. I enjoyed the message about college and finding success through other avenues beyond education, as well as the theme of shared experiences with family. Even though our two main characters shared almost nothing in common about their day to day life and childhoods, it was their emotional experiences with their parents that ended up shaping them the most, and what they shared so much in common over. I appreciated the growth over the course of the book for both of our main characters, and I'm excited to read more from this author!

I really enjoyed this story. The budding chemistry between the two main characters was awesome, and seeing Cooper slowly fall for someone that represents all the things he despises was sooo great. Cooper's twin, Evan, was also super interesting, and I wish we got to learn more about him since he was an awesome side character.

I also think there should've been a bigger showdown between Cooper and Kincaid. Mackenzie's ex was a really abusive guy towards staff and other women, and I wished we got to see him get what he deserved.

Overall, a great and fun read!

While I was hoping for a sexy romance, I felt bad for Mackenzie. It was like everyone around her was using her or only friends because of her money. Cooper was ok, but he was not the hero I am used to. Not a romance but more of a college story, and I couldn't finish it.

This book was great! It was a quick read that kept me engaged and not wanting to put the book down!! Mac and Cooper had me smiling, laughing and on the verge of tears at times. I loved their story and cannot wait to hear more stories from Avalon Bay!!

Poor little rich girl falls for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks...

A predictable college-age rom-com from Elle Kennedy. Set in a small seaside town that caters to tourists and rich entitled college students, Kennedy builds a revenge-based class difference romance between a jaded townie and a wealthy young woman. Unlike her previous books, this couple seems more than average superficial. There was nothing that set them apart and made them unique or even interesting. The storyline was trite and bordered at times on ridiculousness while the supporting cast but anything but supporting.

Not the quality I'm used to from this author. If this is what we have to expect from here on out, I'll pass.

this is after the remix. I was conned into reading a shortened version of that series. this wasn’t really for me.

Good Girl Complex has all the feels with MacKenzie, a rich chick off to college with her chauffeur and hot but douche bag boyfriend Preston until Mac’s fun-loving roomie talks her into a night of ladies bar hopping where they meet the notorious Hartley twins. When they meet, sparks fly like the Fourth of July. 🎆 Cooper Hartley has it all, the hots for Mackenzie, hot bod, hot tattoos, and smoking hot looks. He’s also fulfilling a friendly bet to win Mac over and into his bed as payback against entitled Preston. It’s the townie (poor boy) vs. rich girl trope set out on a college campus, and it’s yummy. Soon, Mac is hooked on Cooper, Preston gets kicked to the curb, and all is well with Cooper, who is genuinely falling for Mac until the “bet” is uncovered. Good subplots, lots of heat, and cute characters in a witty storyline. This book will be released in early 2022. #romance #richgirl #poorboy #struggles #hotasheck #cheatingExDrools #ellekennedy #goodgirlcomplex
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Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin’s, for the opportunity to read this delightful book.

#reading #books #bookstagram #book #booksofinstagram #JustBooksBookstagram #bookish #lindaleereads2021 #mmdbookclub #idratherbereading #readinglife #fallreading #modernmrsdarcy #november 🦃

This was a very fun read! I loved how "real" the characters are. Great character development, great storyline.

Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author fir the chance to read this ARC.

This book was cute and such a fun read. I was very drawn to not only the good girl/bad boy trope from the start but also the contract of these two very different people from two very different worlds and how they navigate their feelings for each other. Mac and Cooper had the perfect amount of banter and tension and intensity and I was completely captivated while I was reading!

Such an amazing sweet book. I would highly recommend this to anyone. It’s clean, no sex scenes but still had a hotness to it!! Those kisses, sigh!! Couldn’t put this book down. If you love romance read this book ASAP!!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this e-arc.

I devoured this one in a day, I absolutely loved it.
It had some fun tropes in it such as bad boy/good girl and poor boy/rich girl. I thought all the characters were pretty well developed and likeable, except the ex-boyfriend of course. It was interesting to read the dynamic of the two main characters and the different backgrounds they came from, only to see how similar they really are.

I was hoping for maybe an epilogue with the future of the main characters. I ended up pretty invested in the hotel remodel, I’m not even gonna lie. But I was pretty happy with how the story ended for those two.

Good Girl Complex is a fun and steamy summer romance that I just couldn’t put down. It’s my first Elle Kennedy book and probably not my last. I enjoyed the writing, the plot, and all the characters.

What a great read. I so want a Cooper in my life. Some of the scenes were ohhhh so satisfying. I loved all the aspects to this book. It was empowering on both sides from each character. I would recommend this book to anyone that needs a good romance in a beach town.

(2.5) Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this eARC!! I was super excited to read something of Kennedy's that wasn't set at Briar University. However, this was just a PG-13 version of the same story. This type of writing hits when you're seeking a cheesy read with a set plot, but it's not anything spectacular.

I read this in a day if that tells you anything about how good this book is. Also the fact that it's Elle Kennedy and anything she writes I'm likely to pick up and read cover to cover in one day also should tell you just how much I enjoy her writing and her books.

Sweet college freshman woman who comes from a wealthy family only at college to obtain her "MRS" degree per the request of her parents. Never mind the fact she has found success outside of them, they have an image they want to be protected and presented to the world, and Mac the ever dutiful daughter gives into their wishes, even if it's not the life of path she would have chosen for herself.

Rough, tough, and resident bad boy Cooper comes from the wrong side of the tracks. A local who dislikes everything that Mac and the world she comes from represents. Working as a bartender slinging drinks to the students of Garnet College has an altercation with Preston (Mac's current boyfriend) and ends up on the receiving end of the privilege that coming from money brings. Putting into motion the events of the book.

My one drawback of the novel and the plot is that when the other shoe drops, like it, always does, it was in the last couple chapters of the book. Which meant the resolution felt a bit rushed but didn't stop me from loving every second of the book. I can't wait for more and know that the Avalon Bay series may just be on its way to topping the Off-Campus series in my list of favorites.

Genre: romance
Pub date: Feb 1, 2022
In one sentence: Mackenzie may be a good girl, but that doesn't mean she's immune to the charms of bad boy Cooper.

Do not make the same mistake I did: this is not a YA romance. Yes, it may be about college-age characters and have a cute illustrated cover, but this book is spicy! I liked Mac a lot, and I related to her desire to get away from her controlling family and make her own path. Her opposites attract vibe with Cooper intrigued me, and I appreciated that Kennedy included their class differences in the story.

This ended up being more of a 3 star read for me because it felt a little over the top - the villain was a caricature and the sex scenes seemed like too much/out of place in the story. I also didn't like the cheating storylines and the reasons that Cooper initially pursued Mac. I think others will like this romance - but it just didn't give me the warm and fuzzies I was looking for.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed previous Elle Kennedy books as I have read the Off-Campus series recently, but this book was not my favorite. I loved the new type of cover that she used for Good Girl Complex, it was one of the main reasons that it caught my attention! There was great chemistry between the main characters, Mackenzie and Cooper, but it took me a while to try to get through it. There were times where the character's thoughts and opinions about women kind of made me upset and uncomfortable as a women myself. Although, I am open to attempting to read it again in the future. I am sure that as the series continues, it will be a great journey with characters, relationships, and friendships.