An absolutely sweet and engaging read, I blew through this one in just a few hours because I couldn't put it down! With relatable characters that pull you in and a whole host of realistic antics, this one is authentic AND steamy. I loved so much about this book: the variety of characters and how they interacted with their families and friends, the town where it takes place, the spicy relationship. Lighthearted without being shallow- a perfect book to read either on the beach on cuddled on the sofa!

Elle Kennedy’s one of my favorite authors. I love her Off-Campus series, and was looking forward to The Good Girl Complex as well. Well let me tell you, I was not let down!

Honestly, if you’re looking for a well written comedic romance, then Elle is your girl! I can always count on her books to lift me out of a reading slump, which has been happening a lot lately. There were some really funny scenes and some serious ones as well. I really enjoyed reading about Mac’s growth in this book. Growing up with money, she always thought it could right every wrong. But Mac quickly learns that’s not a viable solution when Cooper enters the picture. Their banter and playfulness kept me intrigued in this book. I look forward to the next one in this new series! (Hopefully there are more to come)

Good Girl Complex is a fun and steamy summer romance that dives into socioeconomic differences, independence, and parental and societal expectations.

Elle Kennedy is one of my auto-buy authors, so I’m incredibly grateful to have been approved for the ARC. I didn’t read the synopsis before requesting, so I was pleasantly surprised by the contents of the novel.

Good Girl Complex follows Mackenzie as she begins her first year of university despite already owning her own internet business. Once in the small beachside town, she meets Cooper who upon first appearance looks like your typical tattooed bad boy, but there something below the tough exterior. Not all is as it seems as these two, who are from very different worlds, collide.

What I enjoyed most was watching Mackenzie and Cooper fight their attraction to each other. The angst between the characters was palpable and fire hot as they tried to reconcile their growing feelings and the fact that they come from very different backgrounds. Though Good Girl Complex is not as steamy as some of Kennedy’s self-published work, it does offer a handful of very well written scenes that had me reaching for a glass of cold water.

Though Mackenzie came off as aloof sometimes, her character growth was a pleasure to read as she became more self-aware. I also enjoyed Mackenzie’s struggle with her parents, though I am happy that it was a very minor subplot.

As mentioned previously, Cooper is your typical tattooed bad boy; however, below the surface Kennedy revealed a lot of insecurities that became integral to the plot and his budding relationship with Mackenzie.

Overall, Good Girl Complex is a fun and steamy summer romance that offers more than just a cheap fling between the characters.

Elle Kennedy knows how to write a book that is HOTTT. This is my first of her books, and I’m a total convert. The banter is spot on, and it is very steamy.

Mackenzie and Cooper are brought together by the fact that Cooper wants revenge on her boyfriend, with intent to steal his girl. I love the dynamic of the goody-goody rich girl and the bad boy (who is secretly a softie). I’m glad Mackenzie is so down to earth- she surprised Cooper and myself.

I devoured this book! I was a little worried in the first few chapters that this had too much of an Anna Todd feel, but that went away as I continued to read. I enjoyed the characters and story development. 4/5 stars

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy is a steamy romance between two twenty-somethings. Set in a coastal town, the setting is like another character in the ook, providing plenty of detail to the storyline.
With frequent sex scenes, mild violence and adult issues, this book isn't for the YA set. The quick moving plot line is what saves this book from becoming just an excuse to read a mildly exotic love story. The story line is good and does propel the story along without ever going off the rails. It would've been easy to get sidetracked on one of the characters backstories, but the author has a streamlined style that provides enough detail to feel invested, but not enough to feel weary.
Definitely a good read unless you don't enjoy beach novels, sex or happy endings.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book drew me in from the first chapter! I really related to the characters, and the writing was spectacular. I got the same feel that I did whilst reading “Malibu Rising” from TJR, which is high praise! I read this story start to finish in one afternoon and as always, books I finish in one day automatically get 5 stars! I was also super excited to see that this author has manyyyyy books already published, so I am excited to pick a series by her and dive in to new storylines!

This was a quick read. I thought it was a little predictable, but I was rooting for the main characters to stick it out. Both the ex and the parents were jerks, and I was glad that she kicked them to the curb.

DNF: 35%
I requested this book because two reasons; The blur seemed interesting and it was written by the same author of the Off-campus series and Briar U series, so yes, I thought it was going to be a good read, however, in nutshell this book is just no good.

Let's start with the two main characters, they weren't likeable at all. There was no connection between them or the reader, and honestly, I didn't care for what would happen to them. It's painful to say it, but they both were TSTL

Then, there are the different tropes in the story, I had a problem with all of them, besides I feel that some sensitive issues weren't handled properly, like overseeing the practical assault on a girl and instead of addressing the situation, the guy who was defending her got fired. So, nope,

Also, we have the cheating part, The bad guy cheated which was wrong but the protagonist did too, and is that okay? No, it's not. it's even worse. We can't justify a wrong action for revenge, That is childish and beyond idiotic. In simple words, cheating is never ever okay.

I'm so disappointed with how this book was written, the plot and every character in the story, that I don't think I will read any of the next books in the series.

I received an ARC from St. Martin's press through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Elle Kennedy has written one of the most realistic couples I've ever read. Cooper and Mackenzie bicker, they lie  they are not perfect people. But that made me connect with them more. Because they were good at heart and their chemistry was fire.
MacKenzie is strong willed, smart,and successful. But she has lived her life in the lane that was planned out for her by her parents. Cooper is a townie that's been pushed around one too many times. He sees Mac as the perfect path for revenge.
Cooper's friends and MacKenzie's parents were infuriating at times. And I would have liked to see a little more remorse and maybe some apologies from some of them. But overall this was a fun and sweet read.

This novel is The Outer Banks meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Definitely a twist on the typical boy meets girl storyline, but this girl is independent, witty and smart, add to that a beach town and I'm interested.

This was such a fun and quick read. I started reading Elle Kennedy's books in July and I have been obsessed with them ever since. The characters, the storylines, and the relationships were all fun to read. This also felt like a step up from some of her most recent books, so that made it ten times more enjoyable. I also adored the Outer Banks vibes of this story. The whole book was truly a joy to read and I can't wait to check out more stories by Elle Kennedy in the future.

This absolutely would have been a 4 star read except I hate cheating, even if the ex is a condescending jerk who is a serial cheater. I just don’t like it, I also really dislike starting with deception.

That being said, I love Coop, he is everyone’s dream “bad boy” and I am no exception. Coop and Mac may have started off rough but watching them work through and communicate through their problems was done so well. Their chemistry was electric and I really enjoyed Mac finding her way into the hearts of Coop’s Avalon bag family.

Waiting for the shoe to drop made this whole book a bit anxiety inducing and I could never stop expecting the big fight. - I am looking forward to more Avalon Bay books!

Good Girl Complex is an interesting story. It just felt like it dragged out through too many chapters. Definitely has racy and spicy scenes.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Good Girl Complex is exactly what I was expecting it to be and then also a little disappointing. What I expected was a fast paced whirlwind romance between a "good" girl and a "bad" boy and there's more than meets the eye for both characters. I'm disappointed in the cheating aspect. No one really deserves to be cheated on unless they are an absolute terrible person but even so then just break up. You're not happy? Be single. I was also disappointed in how Cooper is developed. He is a stereotype of many stereotypes for bad boys. Same with good girl Mac. I did like getting both POVs which is nice.

This was an average romance book and I was hoping for a little more substance.

3 stars

I wanted to love this one and I did love parts of it, but there were things that just ruined it for me. I loved Mac and Cooper's relationship and how she felt herself around him and how she was able to escape from her toxic family with his encouragement. The story kept me intrigued the whole time and I loved the writing style and flow. Some deal breakers for me though were the revenge plan and the cheating. I don't mind cheating in books if it is done a certain way. In this one though, the heroine is cheating on her boyfriend when she still thinks he is a great guy who is faithful to her. It's not until later that she realizes he is a scumbag. I didnt care that she cheated on him because i knew he was a scumbag, but she still thought she was in love with him and was hanging out and connecting with another guy. I still loved her and Cooper together and was rooting for them, but the cheating just didnt sit well with me. The revenge plot was so juvenile and I hated it. The way he initially came on to her was cringe worthy, but I eventually came to like their relationship alot.

I enjoyed this book!! Elle Kennedy always delivers a solid romance and this book was no exception. I loved the main characters and how they developed their romance. The plot was interesting and well done. I would recommend to others.

Not the biggest romance fan and honestly don’t really love the trope of good girl goes to college and meets a bad boy. The best parts about this book is when our main character isn’t pining over a boy or daydreaming about the bad boy. I honestly loved her aspirations of wanting to grow a business she started without the help of a man or lover. I loved her at the beginning of the story and then the romance happens and for me I started to become checked out—had I read this book at a different point in my life when I was twenty and single af—maybe I would have gotten those same butterflies our MC got. This is really an enjoyable book. Just wish the trope was different.

DNF at 27%.

I’m sorry, I just can't handle these characters. It’s not even the cheating by Pres, or the current emotionally cheating (complete with lying) by Mac that I have so far encountered, it’s 100% Cooper and Mac just isn't really helping because I can't understand why she likes him other than 'he's so hot'.

Cooper is the most lewd, sex-driven character I have ever read about. This kid doesn’t miss a single opportunity to make a sexual comment. He doesn’t seem to see any woman as anything more then something he can tap whenever he wants to.

Maybe I’m just too uptight, but if a guy I didn’t know talked to me like he talked to Mac the first time we met, we would not be hanging out. Cockblocking a friend or not. And then the continual sexual comments he injects to every single conversation they have (most of them completely normal till he opens his mouth) is gross. And the idea that his inappropriate comments actually do something for Mac is…well, you do you girl, but I think its unrealistic and disgusting to be quite frank.

To sum up what I have read of the plot…. Mac’s boyfriend is a rich, snotty, white male of extreme privilege. He uses this to get Cooper fired from his job. After two days of being mad, Cooper and his friends decide they have to get revenge. So, they are going to help Cooper find this Pres guy (Mac’s boyfriend) and steal his girlfriend, who is Mac. Okay. Then the gross starts and for some reason Mac, who is supposed to be this ultra-smart, owns her own business at 19 or 20(?), and in love with Pres falls for it.

That is where my comprehension of her crashed and the relatability to her dipped to zero. Then she starts trying to justify her relationship with Pres and how perfect it is and you go “okay, she is in denial about how happy she is in her relationship” and then she starts emotionally cheating on her boyfriend and then upgrades it to flat out lying for him. THEN she gets an inkling that he might be cheating on her, but doesn’t really push it and continues her emotional cheating with Cooper, who continues to throw sexual innuendos at her every opportunity that presents its self. Ugh. I just couldn’t anymore.


I don’t mind the premise, I just can’t stand the characters.

As the first in a series, this really worked for me. Kennedy does a great job of introducing supporting characters I want to learn more about. As a standalone, it fell a little flat but I'm excited to revisit it after the next one comes out!