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!

Mac and Coopers relationship was so cute. They had me smiling so much especially with Coopers flirting and the way Mac would constantly check him out. These two were made for each other. Thank god, she got away from her toxic ex and family and got with Cooper who btw is the most supportive boyfriend

Hoping Elle Kennedy writes more in this universe, that way I can read about Evan and his love interest

If you like the tropes, such as bad boy/good girl, rich girl/poor boy and cheating trope, and her series, Off-Campus, then you’ll like this for sure.

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.

Am I surprised that I loved another Elle Kennedy book? NOPE! Elle Kennedy knows how to do romance in a way that feels real even though we all know romance books are pretty unrealistic. This book had me hooked from beginning to end because I was so interested in the character dynamics! I love dual perspectives in books and in this one I especially loved reading Cooper's parts!! Something about reading about a man falling in love hits so much harder than reading it in the woman's perspective. Overall, it was such a fun, cute, steamy, and a super enjoyable read!!

This is the first Elle Kennedy book that I have read outside of the Off Campus/Briar U series and her voice is just as clear and strong as it usually is. Fans of her books will get a kick out of Good Girl Complex, it really does hold true to her style even without the college hockey angle.

Set in a quaint college town in the Carolinas where the disparity between the locals and the college student is very evident, townie Cooper gets into a brawl with clone Preston that results in Preston getting him fired from his job at the bar - a job Cooper needed. Pissed off and out for blood, Cooper and his friends hatch a plan for Cooper to steal Preston's long-time girlfriend Mac, a rich college Freshman who is new in town. What Cooper didn't expect though was the friendship and eventual very real romance that would blossom between himself and Mac.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, though I do think that there were long stretches of the book where it felt like not much happened, especially when you consider that Mac doesn't find out about the revenge plot until about 80% of the way through. By the time she discovers the truth it really feels inconsequential considering her and Coop built up a pretty strong foundation between them. The plot involve Coop and his twin brothers Evan's mother also seemed to be a bit out of place and unnecessary for the overall plot of the book when it happened, too.

I do enjoy that Elle Kennedy's books tend to have pretty solid groups of friends involved as I always feel like that adds to the story and give us a more complex and complete world to visit even when we are just focused on the main couple.

All in all, if you're a fan of Elle Kennedy's work, you'll enjoy this.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is perfect for a ladies book club!! I loved the cover and everything in between! Highly recommend.

First and foremost, a big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for another fantastic addition to my vacation! Elle Kennedy did not disappoint!

I would not call myself a convert, but I am slowly becoming a raging contemporary romance enthusiast. This was (and is) a big change for me from reading 100% paranormal/fantasy books. But, let me tell you, it’s authors like Elle Kennedy that grab you kicking and screaming that made me see the light. For that, I am so grateful!

My only gripe about the genera in general is that it’s very formulaic. Meet love interest, un said underlying issue that will come up 70-80% through the story that will brake them up, split, get back together, the end. HOWEVER, it does not take away from the rush of the fall and the joy of them getting back together. That is all on the author and Elle did a beautiful job. I LOVE it when a book makes me cry. Which may sound weird, but I love being pulled in all directions by a good story.

Ok. Yes. I almost always end a book wanting to know what happens next, but this book is all that times two. The way it ended also lends itself easily to a follow-up, and I have no doubt it would (will be?!?!) be AMAZING. Additionally, I really want to know about
Bonnie. . . Ok, who am I kidding, I want to know about ALL OF THEM! Especially Evan.

Elle’s characters are so delightfully robust. They all have their own personalities and quirks.

I hesitate giving details in reviews because I don’t want to give anything away that I would want to be a discovery while reading. BUT, one of my favorite aspects of Mac and Fox’s personalities is their ambition. This is something you learn quickly and does not take away from any fun details. It is so refreshing though that I wanted it highlighted. I tend to gravitate to older characters, but the work ethic behind these two makes them seem older than they are. It also covers a few tabu topics very well.

If you love sweet stories and fantastic writing, then look no further. This book is for you.

I have been a huge fan of the way Elle Kennedy writes the romance between the couple's and the friendships.
Unfortunately this book failed to reach her usual standard of romance or friendships.

I loved Cooper and Mac and all the side characters individually.And the character development of both Cooper and Mac is *chef's kiss*.The romance truly felt lacking.There were some great moments here and there but it was not cohesive and I would have loved an epilogue and I was sad when there was no epilogue.

The friendships were not really great but it might be because of the situation in this book...and it felt like the friendships bond was said rather than shown.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED Cooper and Mac's relationship with Evan.The highlight of the book. I also loved Bonnie,Tate ,Alana ,Heidi and did I mention Evan? LOL.

There were some really CUTE SCENES between Cooper and Mac.This book had many things working out for it while also many things falling apart.

This was a good, fun read but disappointing from someone like Elle Kennedy.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel with great characters. The main female protagonist, Mackenzie (Mac), in particular, has a lot of depth and her character develops believably throughout the story. The tension between rich college girl Mac and the "townie" friend circle of her boyfriend Cooper underlies the narrative and propels the storyline forward as the reader waits for the inevitable catastrophe when Mac discovers the deception involved in her relationship with Cooper. The novel is immensely readable and the writing flows well, as the story's pace increases towards the final revelation and resulting emotional devastation for both Mac and Cooper. The evolving romance between the pair is touchingly and credibly depicted as they grow to truly know and trust each other, giving the story's emotional climax a real punch.

From the cover, my interest in this book was there from the get go! When I said I enjoyed this book from the beginning I mean it! I loved it! This book was a quick, easy read! I literally read it in 1 day. Don’t even get me started on the characters!!*chefs kiss* I loved all of them! The dynamics in regards to the friendships and just family in general made me cry! It was just too beautiful! I’m really hoping there will be books for Evan and Tate!! I would love to experience their minds and overall journey! Now for the amazing couple that is Mac and Cooper, they were great!

Mac is this rich,”trust fund” chick that is somewhat content with the life that she has been raised in until Cooper. Here comes Cooper, who’s this blunt, raw, no nonsense local bad boy and you have an amazing story! They literally had everything without it being cliched or boring! I loved the tension between them, even the description of their feelings towards each other! This book has made my day, and have me wanting more!!

I 100% recommend this book. It was an experience! Please do yourself the favor, it will be the best decision you will make!