Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 stars

Good Girl Complex is definitely my least favorite Elle Kennedy book to date. As a big fan of her Off-Campus and Briar U series, I went into her newest release expecting to adore it. Unfortunately though, Kennedy’s first traditionally published book was a big disappointment.

This book follows Mackenzie “Mac” Cabot, the daughter of extremely wealthy parents who moves to the small seaside town of Avalon Bay to begin her college career. It’s there that she meets bad boy Cooper Hartley, who tests her resolve and brings out a wild side of herself. They fall for each other quickly, but amidst a generations old rivalry, Cooper’s secrets, and Mac’s demanding parents, that newfound love is tested.

I think the only positive thing I can say about this book is that it didn’t completely suck. A glowing compliment for sure. There were some funny moments, the writing wasn’t too bad, and the smut was spot-on, as per true Elle Kennedy fashion. But I also didn’t like most of the tropes included, and there were some problematic aspects that were impossible to ignore.

First and foremost, I want to talk about how this was just a complete copy of the plot of After. We have Cooper, the tattooed bad boy, and Mac, the innocent rich girl. Cooper’s a local in Avalon Bay, and for some reason he hates the rich people who go to college there with a burning passion, enough so that he makes a bet with his friends that he can get Mac to sleep with him. Sound familiar yet?

But the similarities don’t end there. I can’t go too into detail without spoiling the book, but if you are at all aware of the plot of After, I’m sure you’ll be able to predict it for yourself.

And also!! As if copying the entire plot of another book isn’t already bad enough, she also copied the name of of one of the side characters. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but just remember guys, if you’re going to copy someone else’s book, at least remember to switch out the character names.

I should mention though that although this seemed exactly like After, it was still a better version of it.

One of my other biggest problems with this book is how cheating was portrayed in it. I have no problem with there being in cheating in books, as long as it’s not glorified and the people doing it are held responsible for their actions. But in this book, there was a whole lot of cheating.

It’s revealed that Mac’s boyfriend Preston has been cheating on her since the start of their relationship early on in the book. Mac doesn’t find out until later, not until she’s already cheated on him, multiple times. When she finds out about Preston she flips out, and he’s made out to be a villain. I’m not saying I don’t think he is, but I find it really weird that Mac was never condemned for her actions like he was. There’s even a line in the book that says something along the lines of how she deserves more than someone like him, even though she did the exact same thing he did.

In Elle Kennedy’s previous books she’s managed to avoid glorifying cheating if it’s for the “right person.” I really wish she had managed to do the same for this one.

Even ignoring the problematic aspects of this book, it still wouldn’t have been for me. I wasn’t a big fan of the tropes used, so I already felt disconnected from the story, but the characters also weren’t that fleshed out. The world of Avalon Bay also felt very distant. The entire book took place in Mac’s dorm room and Cooper’s house, with the occasional visit to somewhere on the boardwalk. Assuming this will be a series, I’m sure the town will become more visible throughout the rest of the books, but at least in this one I didn’t feel very immersed.

Overall, Elle Kennedy’s newest release wasn’t for me, but I’m sure there will be some die-hard fans who enjoy this one immensely. And I hope that as the rest of the series progresses I’ll fall more in love with Avalon Bay and its inhabitants.

Release Date: February 1, 2022
Page Count: 368 pages
Perfect for fans of: After, Outer Banks, any of Elle Kennedy’s previous works
Representation: one older gay couple, mentioned once or twice
Tropes: bad boy x rich girl, bet, independent girlboss, boy falls first

This was such a fun read. I loved the storyline and characters that Elle Kennedy created. I loved that Mac was not your typical rich girl "clone." This book is the perfect amount of spicy and sweet. I can't wait to see where Kennedy takes this new series.

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

I enjoyed the story. It was a little to young and bland for me though. I felt the characters were immature but again that was my hang up I'm sure due to me not realizing it was a NA book. Mac seemed like the typical pushover and should have definitely known that Preston was a douche canoe. Cooper was alright, tried a little too hard to be a bad boy. It was a good story nonetheless, just not for me. I will definitely recommend to my teenage cousin.

Arc provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

After reading the Off Campus series, I wanted to read more by Elle Kennedy and when I saw she had a new book coming out and it was available on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it. (Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my gifted eARC)

I didn’t read Good Girl Complex all that quickly. I tried to savor it a bit. I thought the story was a lot of fun, and I really liked the characters. The voice in Good Girl Complex felt very different and for some reason it felt like the books were written by different authors (not that that’s bad).

All that said, I think Good Girl Complex is a solid romance, and if Kennedy keeps up with the series, I will definitely read them all.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars. First I haven’t read any of Elle Kennedy’s other books, this is my first. This was a spicy but adorable book and I loved it. It’s the classic good girl meets bad boy trope but it felt fresh and I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed Elle Kennedy’s writing. The plot was compelling and the romance felt natural and made me want the best for the Cooper and Mac. Both their characters are complex and definitely more than meets the eye. I really enjoyed the circumstances Cooper and Mac met under and it really drives the entire plot of the book. The story never feels slow and by the end I was rushing to find out what happens. The ending was almost too fast but mostly because I adored them and honestly wanted an epilogue at the end to get a glimpse of their future.

Overall I didn’t want the story to end! I hope maybe the next book will be about Evan and we will still get to see glimpses of Cooper and Mac. I highly recommend this book if you love a good small town meets opposites attract romance. I definitely want to read Elle Kennedy’s other books now.

I liked the swoon worthy moments in the book and loved the plot, however the subject of cheating was very unsettling for me and made it hard for me, personally to connect to the characters.

Overall the story was lovely and I would recommend but do warn readers about the cheating elements.

The opposites attract premise plays out well in this book. Rich girl Mackenzie chaffs against the plans her parents have for her life but not until she meets Cooper does she have the courage to really push back and take a stand for what she wants.

Cooper isn’t really a bad boy—he just has a lot of baggage. And Mac isn’t really a straight up good-girl either. They’re a good match and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow. What I found less believable was how mature they both seem for their age. If they had been at least in their mid-20s I would have found it more believable. But still a good read.

Brilliant writing, but a sore-subject plot.

Cheating is just not fun for me to read about it. I’m sure many other people will enjoy this one, but I have a hard time shipping anyone who is already in a relationship with someone else.

Great writing style though and a perfect cover. If the cheating plot wasn’t such a big aspect in this book I’d have really enjoyed it I think. This one will do well I’m sure.

This book, about have's and have not's and all that implies kept me glued to the pages. Ms. Kennedy built an interesting seaside world of townies and rich kids but made sure that the characters were developed in a way to feel real. Cooper, the sexy bad boy, didn't start out in my good graces based on his intentions towards Mac but he eventually won me over. Mac, on the other hand, I loved from the beginning. Even though she was blind to some things that were going on around her, when she came to terms with it, she was a strong, focused, intelligent character who spoke her mind and took no prisoners. These two had great chemistry and ultimately were meant to be together. I enjoyed their ups and downs and really liked that they had to fight to get to their happily ever after. I also enjoyed the secondary characters quite a bit and I'm hoping we get to see what happens to them in future books. I love it when an author puts in some work to make the secondary characters believable and ensures they play a strong role in the story. This happened here and was a part of why I really enjoyed this book overall. Looking forward to seeing what's coming next.

5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Very good! Will definitely be recommending this book on my Instagram bookstagram account.

Elle Kennedy has yet to disappoint! I’ll forever love a good girl/bad boy trope. It was a light and fun read filled with the best witty banter and a little Spice! I felt the ending was a bit rushed but overall it was a great read!

4/5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin's Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

I loved a lot of this book, but the last 20% was too frustrating for me. The fact that they didn't talk killed me and I HATED that Coop lied right to Mac's face. That really annoyed me and seemed out of character. I mean I get it to an extent because he thought he would lose her, but I don't think it added to the story and kind of made it drag for longer than it should have. That being said, I did really like the relationship between Mac and Coop. They had chemistry from the start and supported one another. And I really want Evan to get a story.

Cooper grew up in Avalon Bay, South Carolina and has seen how poorly the wealthy college students treat his local community for a long time. And then Preston gets him fired.

Mackenzie has been dating Preston for four years, but they have been long distance for three. Now she is joining him at Garnet College. She doesn't know what a bad guy Preston is.

I could describe this book using simple tropes and stereotypes of the rich girl and the working class bad boy. But that would miss all that's special about the book. The characters are so deeply written. I can understand their dreams and empathize with their choices. There's so much intensity in their relationship.

Elle Kennedy is a master at writing new adult romance. I am so excited for this new series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

TW: sexual assault

I really enjoy reading all of Elle Kennedy book. This is another great one that I will be recommending for all my book friends.
I really liked the chemistry between the two main characters and you instantly felt the passion between them. It's like a beach town version of the haves and have-nots with some Outter Banks thrown in. The townies always having to serve the rich folk who think they can get away with anything simply because they can. You get the heat, chemistry. character and relationship development. And considering the relationship between Coop and Mac didn’t exactly start out with the best intentions on Cooper’s part. The motivation behind how they met & why is huge part of the story line so I don't want to spoil it but it totally gave me After vibes.

I love an Elle Kennedy New Adult novel, generally speaking. I love a good girl/bad boy trope. This was a funny, sexy read, with well written characters. However, it just fell a little flat for me. I felt like I'd read this before, which is fine, but that's it. Fine. I would still recommend this book for lighter romance readers.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...this is my first Elle Kennedy book that isn't MM, and it was SO good!

I, for the life of me, couldn't put this book down. School who? Homework what? Exactly, didn't think so, this book deserved ALL of my attention, hence why I finished it an a day! I loved this story, this trope just gets me. Rich girl gets duped by low-class boy but the low-class boy falls and falls hard, oh yes, and they hate each other at the beginning. Makes for a perfect recipe of a dramatic, and very very fun story! I wasn't feeling the whole book reading before this book, I needed something to get my out of my slump, and this definitely did the trick and then some! So good! I wasn't even planning on reading this so soon, but here we are!

Love it! Can't wait for February for everyone else to read it too!

Check TWs friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin's Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

Huge fan of Elle Kennedy -- i've read over a dozen of her other novels include the 'Briar U' and 'Off-Campus' series. I have been hearing a lot of buzz about this title and have been really looking forward to reading this standalone. Good girl & trust fund kid, Mac, meets bad boy, Cooper at their wealthy beachside college. They fall hard for each other but secrets threaten to tear them apart.

Check out Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy and be sure to get this contemporary romance wherever you buy books!

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TAGS: fiction, romance, contemporary romance, new adult romance, young adult, YA, college romance, summer romance, boy next door, girl next door, good girl, bad boy

*Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Elle Kennedy for providing a free eARC in exchange for my honest review #GoodGirlComplex #NetGalley @NetGalley #stmartinspress @stmartinspress #ElleKennedy @ellekennedy33

Such a fun read! I loved the characters and couldn’t put this book down. I did find the ending very abrupt and rushed. I wish that had been fleshed out a little bit more.

Elle Kennedy writes the bad boy so well.
Mackenzie "Mac" being an independent, self-starter already owning her own business was a refreshing character, I wanted to shake her with the way she lets Preston treat her despite all of this. I loved Cooper and Mac's story!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eArc!

I was excited to read a new Elle Kennedy book that was separate from her Off Campus series. I think this book was good, but I had a few issues. First, Cooper was a little bit too jaded about the "Clones" and I struggled with how quickly he changed his mind about Mac. I also though Evan's feelings flip flopped a bit and I wish there would have been more to his backstory. Assuming there are other books in this series, we may get more then. Overall a good read, even if there were some things I didn't like.