I enjoy a good romance-ish book every once in a while. Nothing like a little love to breakup all the thriller/mysteries I read. But, this one just hit me wrong. Since the beginning, I knew everything that was going to happen. It’s nothing new but a little too been there done that for 2021.

<<SPOILERS START NOW>>


Here are the things I didn’t like and wonder if those that loved this book thought the same things.

1. Why drag Mac into Cooper’s revenge plot. I know Heidi was hesitant but I hated that everyone else thought it would be a good idea to just use Mac like that and think it’s ok. There were other ways to get back at Preston.

2. Why are all the girls these bad boys fall for written as the ‘she’s different from other girls. She’s so cool and fun and is a tshirt and jeans type person’ plus she’s a good girl who’s crazy in bed? It’s been overdone and cliche.

3. The ending was too abrupt. She forgives him and all is well. An epilogue would have been a good idea. Just to tie things up for me. Does Mac open the hotel, does Evan get over his ex. Does Heidi finally come around to Mac?

4. That’s another thing. Heidi was mad at Cooper, for good reason. But she took it out on Mac and I hated that. Why do we always pin girls against each other when they’re really just mad at the guy who wronged them? Happens in real life too and it drives me crazy.


The book was engaging. I read the entire thing in 2 days. So it was easy to read. I just have been wanting more for my romance/rom com books lately, something different. Just didn’t get it from this one.

2.5 stars, rounded up

i really don't know how to feel about this book. i'm a casual fan of elle kennedy. i liked off-campus and briar u as my guilty pleasure reads and i should have went into this book with the same mindset. but i didn't and i think that really lessened my enjoyment of the book.

the book follows mackenzie - or mac - and cooper. mac is your typical rich girl that wants more freedom and cooper is your typical "bad boy". the two meet, hit it off, fall in love, face a few problems, then reunite. typical elle kennedy formula. but idk, i just feel like this was a really forgettable book for me because i was on autopilot.

i can see why this book would be people's cup of tea. the 'good girl/bad boy' trope is a fan favorite for a reason. add in a bet, rich girl/poorer boy, and smut and you have what most people would love in a romance book. unfortunately, these things just didn't work out for me. i found that the characters were so flat and one-dimensional. they were pulled straight out of wattpad. if you exchanged cooper and mac's names for y/n and harry styles, you could most likely find a fanfic like this on wattpad.

mac especially irked me. she was your typical rich girl who wanted "more in life". i hated the shit she put up with and i found her development to be a little sudden. i would have liked to see more a gradual and natural development in her, especially because she had such a good set-up for that. i also thought that things came too easily for her, especially when it came to her problems with cooper's friends. that particular arc was resolved in five chapters when it was built up for half the book.

cooper's your typical bad boy, i guess. i wasn't really invested in him. he was kinda boring and just horny. idk. i just couldn't relate to the two main characters and couldn't care for them. their romance was cute i suppose, just a bit on the insta love/lust side, which again, is not my cup of tea. i felt like the two just had sexual tension and would have liked to see more romantic tensiom between the two of them.

i thought the ending was cute. i really liked coopers' ending with his family, i genuinely teared up at that part. and the final grand gesture was nice and fit the story. i liked the side characters and side plots a lot more than mac and cooper. would have loved to see more bonnie and levi! pls give me more.

would recommend this to people who have enjoyed elle kennedy's books and people who love trope-y stuff. otherwise, steer clear. maybe i picked this up at the wrong time, who knows.

You can never go wrong with an Elle Kennedy book. I absolutely loved her previous NA romances, and this one was just as good! The characters were so real and three dimensional. The plot kept me engaged and interested. I could not put this book down. Can’t wait to see if Evan gets a book.

elle kennedy i am begging you please get rid of cargo pants and cargo shorts no matter how good you think they make a guys a** look. every single book of her that i’ve read seems to have a guy in cargo shorts.

but now onto the review, cooper hartley reminds me of a combo of a few of elle kennedy’s past main characters but not in a bad way. he’s the so called tattooed “bad boy” with family issues, who seems to enjoy sleeping around. mac on the other hand is one of the “clones”, who goes to the prestigious college in their small beach town. mac was a character i really enjoyed too. she was a lot more developed than some of kennedy’s characters in the past. mac is an entrepreneur who has goals and ambitions of her own. the two begin as friends, while mac is still with her boyfriend and following her parents rules. <spoiler> not really a spoiler but the cheating trope kinda bothered me. mac seems so judgmental of the other rich girls for excusing cheating, but does it herself. i know preston was but it still bothered me </spoiler>.

the ending seemed a little abrupt to me and i wish it would have been drawn out a tad bit more. i’m still unsure if this is a series or a standalone, as i have seen both on kennedy’s instagram. if it’s part of a series then the ending is a lot better. i have to say i hope this does end up being a series kennedy continues, as so many of the background characters seem to have their own interesting stories. i would love to read evan and tate’s books!

"I'll be the best friend you've ever had. I always go above and beyond what's expected of me. I mean, I liberated goats for my friends."

"Every rich girl from a good family wonders what it's like to be with the guy from the wrong side of the gilded gates." A very Allie & Noah story. You know how it goes...






Cooper has something ominous about him, but a magnetism thats undeniable. Mackenzie is trapped by expectations and trying to make everyone else happy. There's a fire in her that Coop sees. Chaos and peace. But could one overheard conversation and secrets tear apart this OTP? If you like The Notebook and After, then Good Girl Complex is right up your alley!



Ps. Cooper has a twin brother who will worm his way into your heart with the sweetest gesture. Can we get an Evan Hartley book?

READ IF YOU LIKE:
-the notebook
-friends to lovers
-bickering & banter
-small college town
-revenge plan trope
-arguments over the socioeconomic implications of pastries
-a rescue pup
-#IsThisAKissingBook: there's something real between Coop and Mac.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy!

Song: Always Forever by Cults

I’m not usually a big romance reader but I really enjoyed this one. The characters are both lovable and flawed. There was really cute banter and some steamy moments. I especially liked these lines from the book: “If your heart’s telling you to follow something - go for it. Don’t let anyone hold you back, because life is too damn short. Build your empire. Slay dragons.”

Elle Kennedy manages to create characters that are simultaneously loveable and deeply flawed. Good Girl Complex is a dual perspective romance that pushes both the main characters to re-evaluate their beliefs and choices. It’s jam packed full of cute banter and a handful of steamy moments. This book delivers exactly what is promises the bad boy trope with a hint of deception. Elle Kennedy delivers yet another book that can’t be put down.

I really enjoy reading this book. It was everything I like about a romance book. I also like how the author spread their relationship in a span of a couple of months rather than a couple of days/ weeks like most romance books. I also like how she show how different they are but in a way they are very similar. I can’t wait to own a physical copy of the book and have it display at my store.

I am always willing to read anything Elle Kennedy writes and I have read a ton of her stories. This book has her usual writing style that I enjoy, but it feels so different from her previous books. I think the plot makes it stand out above her other works.

We are introduced to Mackenzie Cabot, a girl from a well off family dating a boy from another well off family. It is clear she feels suffocated by her family and her boyfriend. She wants to be independent and make a name for herself on her own. The plans everyone else has for her is not what she wants.

In comes Cooper Hartley, one half of the Hartley twins. A self proclaimed townie in Avalon Bay, he knows exactly how it feels to be treated by the rich people, or “clones” as he likes to call them. After an less than pleasant interaction with one of the prominent rich members of town, he comes to discover this member has a beautiful girlfriend, and thus the revenge plot begins.

Cooper and his friends come up with a plan to humiliate the boyfriend the best way they know how, through his long-term girlfriend. Thus, Cooper intends to strike up a kinship with the girlfriend and put his plan into play. He meets Mackenzie and after getting to know her, he realizes she might not be like every other clone. But as their relationship progresses and outside influences are involved, his revenge plans seems harder to keep under wraps.

Mackenzie Cabot is a breath of fresh air when you are used to heroine’s that often don’t know how to stick up for themselves and follow what is expected of them. I loved how confident, independent and strong-willed she was. She refuses to follow everyone else’s plans for herself and creates her own path. When paired up with Cooper, who is also independent and has his own family issues that push him to strive for more, it is a match that keeps you captivated. Both of their family’s complete opposite history can make for some head-butting and quick disagreements, but their feelings for each other grow to outshadow this predicament.

Overall, this story was an intriguing read. It took me a little bit to get into, but once I realized where the plot was going I was hooked. Again, both of the main characters have personalities that I love and make for a great story/relationship. Although I did feel like the end wrapped up pretty quickly and could have had some more details, I would 100% recommend this to anyone looking for a book with these types of personalities and unique plot. And if you’re an Elle Kennedy fan, you definitely with not be disappointed with her newest release.

2.5 stars
(warning, long review)
I wanted to love this, but the synopsis didn't really explain the main premise of this book, which unfortunately, consisted entirely of tropes and story lines that I hate, so I went into this book with high hopes, only to be sorely disappointed. Additionally, I think I've just outgrown Elle Kennedy's writing style. Although I loved her Off Campus series, nothing since then (The Briar U spin off series included) has really impressed me. Although I was initially a little worried going into Good Girl Complex that I wouldn't like it, as I'm not a huge fan of of the "good girl trope" or "poor boy rich girls" romances, I had high hopes Elle Kennedy would put a new twist on these tropes. Much to my dismay, she somehow did the opposite. This book felt like a semi-problematic storyline from an early 2000's book/movie, not like something new from 2021. To further explain my thoughts, I'm going to give a little plot synopsis. SPOILERS AHEAD (all of this happens in the first 30 or so pages of the book, and it's literally the set up of the plot, but since it's not in the synopsis I'm putting a spoiling warning). Essentially the way this romance starts, is that Cooper, the love interest, meets Mackenzie's awful boyfriend cheating on her in a bar. The bf gets Cooper fired, so as revenge, Cooper uses Mackenzie as payback. Him and his entire group of friends make a bet to have Cooper sleep with Mackenzie and make her fall in love with him, wait for her to dump her boyfriend, and then publicly dump her. Personally, I hate the "bet" trope. I don't think it's a good set up for a romance when one character is literally using the other, but even on an objective level, this specific bet is really messed up. The way that Cooper and his friends address the bet, they act as if Mac is nothing but a body belonging to her boyfriend, and that by using and discarding her, it gets back at him and rich people as a whole. I understand that the bet is not supposed to be forgivable. It's the source of the conflict, but still, the way Cooper (at the start of the book) and his friends treat Mac is so vindictive and cruel, I didn't want to see Mac learn to love them, cause I felt like she deserved better. So much of this book was just sexism and unwarranted cruelty under the guise of "class commentary" and "justified revenge". I'm not even trying to defend the ultra rich, I'm just asking for characters to treat each other with basic respect. Mac was never mean to any of Cooper's friends, and I get that a lot of rich people like her had been, but still, she shouldn't have had to win them over and had a tragic home life backstory for them to treat her like a person. That should have been the default. It doesn't help that even aside from it's set up, I never fell in love with the romance in this book, or these characters. I have found that with other Elle Kennedy books, yes the characters and romance were strong, but a highlight of her writing was the way she naturally blended in so many well loved tropes (ie. fake dating and the one bed trope in The Deal). Unfortunately, in this book, it's just a combination of divisive and outdated tropes (using the girl for a bet, innocent rich girl x poor bad boy, "not like other girls" protagonist, cheating that's justified cause it's "with the right person", vindictive one dimensional "ex-girlfriend of the love interest" characters, etc). My final complaint is just that this book wrapped up really quickly. The resolution felt a bit rushed and there wasn't an epilogue. Overall, I really didn't enjoy this, and honestly, was pretty disappointed with it. There are definitely readers who will enjoy this, but I don't know if those readers are the ones this book is being marketed to. Although this is in no way a dark romance, I think some dark romance reader's may enjoy this, as the whole "bad boy who initially uses a girl but falls for her" trope and some of Copper's actions are more common in that genre, but this was definitely not for me. I think the main reason why that is because this book is very unlike any of the other's I've read from this author. Normally, Elle Kennedy's love interests are "ideal book boyfriends" who have a loveable group of friends, and are pining after their girl, so this was just really, unexpected. To wrap this review up, I don't want to put people off of reading this book, I just feel like the synopsis should have mentioned the bet, as there is definitely an audience for this book, I just don't necessarily think it's the audience that this book was primarily advertised to (fans of the Off Campus/Briar U series who are expecting something similar).
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Filled with sizzling tension and witty banter, Good Girl Complex will hit you right in the feels with its sassy characters and riveting storyline.

Think of it as an adult version of the movie “After”. The guy bets his friends he can get the girl to fall for him… but then he falls for her & then you-know-what hits the fan.

My, oh my… Cooper is one FINE specimen… with an identical twin, Evan.

Such a delightful and slightly spicy rom-com that I highly recommend you try!

Just to preface this, Cooper Hartley is the bad boy love of my life!

4.5/5 stars

OMG Elle Kennedy has done it again. I haven't read any of her other books besides the OffCampus/BriarU series but I had great expectations considering that I loved those two series and this book did not disappoint.

It was the rich girl/poor boy trope and I absolutely loved it. Set in a quaint little town, Cooper and Evan Hartley are twin brothers who live in a town where there are a bunch of rich kids due to the college in the town which is a hub for all the trust fund kids they call clones because they all act the same. Cooper, our main character, works two jobs trying to save up enough to start his own business yet the book starts with him losing one of his jobs as a bartender after getting into a fight with one of the clones. He tries to exact revenge from him by chasing after the clone's girlfriend, who's our other main character and he realizes that not all clones are the same as he thought.

I absolutely adored Mackenzie. Her constant back and forth banter with Cooper wasn't over the top but showed that she wouldn't back down from a fight. A lot of times authors will try to overdo it to add the banter to their books but it was done to perfection here. She stood her ground and her character arc which allowed her to defend herself and her preferences were done in such a natural way. She didn't go straight from being super meek to a badass, we actually got to see the slow growth.

I loved the rivalry between the townspeople and the rich trust fund brats and that very obvious divide between the two. All of Cooper's friends were a delight to read and I loved how Mackenzie slowly won all of them over in her own way. They were hesitant to let her in but she proved herself and accepted her. I do hope we get more books in this series about some of Cooper's other friends, his twin Evan, and Mac's friend Bonnie who were all such a treat to read. One of my favourite parts was when at one point Cooper's friends were trying to get girls in a really cute, yet hilarious way. (I'll let you guys read to see what)

The only reason I took off half a star is that the ending seemed a bit incomplete to me. I would've liked an epilogue to see how everything truly wrapped up. The book ended with the conflict being resolved but it kind of ended there. The conflict was resolved in a perfect way yet it felt rushed and I kinda wanted to know what happens next with Cooper and Mac so it was lacking a bit.

Overall, this book was a completely heartwarming page-turner. I am so glad to finally pick up another Elle Kennedy book. This ARC couldn’t have come at a better time. I was craving a NA romance and obsessively anticipating the release of The Legacy of Elle Kennedy.

Keep an eye out for this book when it releases in February 2022.

Happy Reading :)

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

Bad boy meets good girl, sparks fly. Elle Kennedy creates an electrifying love story with Good Girl Complex. As a romantic novel, it gives the reader everything you want out of a good romance. The tension between Cooper and Mac is fire and the banter is so witty you’ll want it to write the essay you put off to devour this book. This story is light-hearted and fun, but its characters give it a beating heart that makes you love it more and more with every page. I recommend this for people who love sexy, summer romances. If I had to give a reference for this book: Think Outer Banks (TV Series) meets After by Anna Todd in the best possible way.

Two individuals from the opposite side of the tracks that meet under circumstances that lead them to be together in a rough and sensual way...

Another Elle Kennedy masterpiece. A piece of work that I have been waiting for, I have been craving for this kind of Elle's writing. I was starting to go downhill with her previous spin off books, and this book made me turn around and fall in love with her male characters once again. And falling for Cooper has made me a tiny bit obsessive with his personality and vibes, though his initial intensions made him a jerk, it's the slow realization that Mac is not like the other rich assholes, is what makes Cooper a man for loving her the way she is and defending her from his once awful friends.

I am looking forward to see what else Elle has up her sleeves in this hopefully to be series. I need Evan's book, and pretty much everyone including Katie and Bonnie. I just know that she is going to write their story, and if she doesn't then oh well... But I am hoping that she does because it's a series to read for sure. With that being said, I am glad she strived with this romance because she did not disappoint in the least. And her OG readers will sure love this story as well and bring back the best kind of OFF CAMPUS vibes without the sports trope part of it.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!


So I didn't look too much in to the plot before starting. Think "She's All That" but with a revenge plot...which felt weird. It's a very early 2000s thing to do and I don't feel plots like this belong in 2021. Honestly I wouldn't have read it if I'd known! Plus there was the cheating aspect which make me feel yucky.

But the upside was the romance itself and both MC's character developments.

Elle Kennedy has done it again!! Whenever I pick up a book by her, I already know it's gonna be a good time and she has yet to disappoint. This is one of my favorite new adult romance books!

To give you a quick run down of the book, it takes place in a beach town called Avalon Bay. The drama starts quickly when a townie named Cooper Hartley gets fired for protecting a coworker from a "clone" (rich boy) named Preston. Now, Cooper has his eyes set on revenge and what better way to get back at the guy who has a picture perfect life than to seduce his beautiful girlfriend. However, in a plot twist that he doesn't see coming, Mackenzie ends up being completely different than what he anticipated...

All I can say is WOW! I loved Mackenzie as the female lead, she grew so much as a character and was a force to be reckoned with. That combined with Coopers sex appeal and bad boy image made for hilarious banter, a steamy romance, and great plot development. I was completely hooked from the first chapter and could not put this book down. My only very minor bone to pick with this book is that I would have LOVED an epilogue to see what ends up happening with the characters after the final chapter (unless Elle plans on giving us another book in this universe, then hey I can keep waiting). Other than that, I loved this book wholly and highly recommend you add it to your TBR.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an eGalley of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

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

I overhyped this book so much in my head that it was destined to fall short in some way. I saw the words "Elle Kennedy" and "new college romance series" and immediately thought we were getting Off Campus 2.0. This book isn't that, so I was left slightly disappointed based on my own incorrect assumptions about what this book would be.

That being said, this was still a great romance book with a fun group of characters and I'm excited to see how the other books in this series will play out.

Things I liked:
-The writing style. I'm just a sucker for the way EK writes. The chapters are short and the dialogue is always realistic so it makes the book extremely easy to read and get through.
-Chemistry between the main characters and their connection to the side characters. There was one scene in particular about halfway through when the characters were first getting together that left me screaming out loud because it was so cute and swoon worthy. The main characters have great chemistry together and I was rooting for them from the beginning. The side characters were entertaining as well, and I'm excited to read more about them as more books are released.
-FUNNY!!! Despite the fact that this book deals with some hard topics and has its heavy moments, there are great moments of comedic relief thrown in there. I'll just say one word - Patricia. (Trust me, when you read it you'll get it).

Things I didn't like:
-The main premise of the book/reason the characters got together. It's very icky and rubbed me the wrong way, but I do think the resolution of it was handled nicely in the end.
-NO EPILOGUE. Literally a crime that the book ended where it did and there was no epilogue.

Overall thoughts:
Another solid contemporary romance from Elle Kennedy. It didn't fully live up to my expectations, but that's entirely my own fault for setting the expectations so high.

Reader warning: This book contains a cheating trope, which I know a lot of us hate (myself included). I personally thought it was resolved nicely in the end, but it's definitely a large part of the story and something to be aware of while reading.

I adored the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy, one of my favorite NA series ever. I had high hopes for Good Girl Complex and unfortunately for me the book fell short.

I don’t love rich girl/poor boy tropes, combined with the cheating happening through out the book, I just really struggled with this one. I do hope if this is a series the next book will be about Evan, he was a great character.

I’ll always recommend Off Campus, but reading this book makes me wonder if I outgrew Kennedy’s books. 2 stars.

3.5 stars! I really loved the entire premise of this book. A rich, trust fund girl meets the grumpy, trouble making townie. And said rich girl has a douchebag boyfriend. It’s a recipe for a fantastic story. I actually got Outerbanks vibes the whole time which I enjoyed. With that said, I felt that this book was VERY repetitive. Both characters have mommy/daddy issues that were constantly brought up, money was always being talked about, and the two characters fought a lot. I also thought the book had a ton of loose ends that could’ve been fixed with an epilogue. Did Mac ever open her hotel? Did Evan get over his ex? How’s the furniture business doing? Also, this didn’t change my rating, but I thought the whole “boyfriend fails” website was a little odd…but the spice was great, the characters were fantastic (especially Evan and Daisy), and it had a happy ending. If this book had an epilogue, I’d most likely bump my rating to a 4!

*thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I love the I-should-hate-you-but-I-love-you trope and let me tell you, this book delivered. I've loved every Elle Kennedy book I've read and this one was no different.

Mac comes from a rich family and embodies basically everything Cooper hates. And somehow they can never keep away from each other for too long.

I'm a sucker for beach town love stories and this is definitely up there in my favourites! Mac and Cooper were great MCs, and I loved both of them and their chemistry. The sexual tension between these two was out of this world. Mac's character development specially was *chef's kiss*

I was at the edge of my seat the whole time at how the story would play out and it was so much fun!

The one thing I'll say though is that I really wished we could've had an epilogue. It would've been the perfect bow to wrap the absolute gift this book was.