For me this felt like a book I have read before. Even though i finished, it took me longer than usual. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and it just was flat. I was surprised as I usually like Elle's books. This was just flat.

A shockingly bad book from the usually reliable Elle Kennedy.

I've read a ton of Elle Kennedy's new adult college books, so I though I knew what to expect. Turns out, I didn't. Good Girl Complex didn't have a likable character to be found, a lack of chemistry between the two MCs (and morals...), and a plotline right out of a 80s/90s movie.

The male MC and his friends were judgey and horrible, and the female MC was just marginally better. Calling rich people "clones" and having the rich people all behave like 80s high school villains was eye-roll worthy. And a bet plot?? Come on, Elle Kennedy can do better.

I kept hoping that these characters would redeem themselves or that the book would become more entertaining, but nothing happened to improve my opinion of this story. It's worst offence was that it was boring, and that the characters just felt incredibly two-dimensional.

I was very disappointed by this story, and, frankly, I'm surprised Elle Kennedy even wrote it. I don't even know what else to say...

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you @netgalley for providing me with an eARC for review. This was a quick and fun NA story that reminded me a lot of the movie After. I am always a sucker for a bad boy who sets out to take revenge by stealing a girl - and then ends up falling hard.

LOVED IT. Bought a physical copy so I could read it again. I just loved Cooper. A+ banter and drama, too!

ENJOYED it so much!
Its been so long that I enjoyed a romance novel this much!
And probably the only YA that I have enjoyed.
Mac and Cooper are super and enjoyable.
Thank you Elle Kennedy for the funny dialogue. I miss witty and funny conversations!
I am anxiously waiting for the next book in the series! "Bad Girl Reputation"
I have not read a novel that I enjoyed this much in months!

Elle Kennedy... I can't with you. EVERYTHING you write, immediately yes. Immediately 5 stars. I could not get enough of this book, and was depressed when I finished. BAD GIRL REPUTATION cannot come soon enough!

Ending was a bit rushed, but I was still pleasantly surprised. I loved the characters, and the story was okay. Would have liked the beginning, where they aren’t together yet to be longer, along with the ending.

Cute, sweet, simple story. Just want more!

4 stars!

This was a good read by one of my all time favorites, Elle Kennedy. Cute read with some depth, and I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes.

Will link full review when posted.

This was my first Elle Kennedy book and I liked it! It would be the perfect book to read on the beach this summer. A quick read with likable characters and an interesting plot. I can't wait to read more of Elle Kennedy's books!

The main character's journey was incredibly written. I loved the writing style and the unique sense of atmosphere created despite this book being a contemporary. I was hooked from start to finish!

I received an eARC of Good GIrl Complex by Elle Kennedy from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
4 stars! I heard this book had Outerbanks vibes, which that may be true but I thought it was more Gilmore Girls meets After. This was a great read! I absolutely love Elle Kennedy!

I have read many of Elle Kennedy’s sports romances and this one was different but in a very good way.
I love opposites attract romances but when you couple that with revenge and then meeting that unexpected someone that gives you those feelings that wipe away that need for revenge because you feel whole and something real for the first time...just wow!
I loved this friend group...they’ve known each other for years and have always had each other’s back. I loved the twin brother aspect and Uncle Levi ...that feeling of family and always being there for each other when your family has disappointed you. Even more so, I loved Mackenzie...a young strong businesswoman who goes after what she wants, can support her true passions and stand up to the parents that wanted to mold her to be something she never wanted. Always the good girl until she realizes that she doesn’t want to play it safe and be restricted and held back. She wants more and she wants to really live her life freely and with passion.
The journey for Connor and Mac has its ups and downs and even arguments along the way... but their feeling makes for each other, that undeniable love never wavered even when truths come out and hurt like a bitch.
I was emotional and I love that feeling when I read books and more importantly I was invested...so much so that I wish we could see what happens to side characters like Evan and Tate because everyone needs their HEA. For now I’ll be content imagining rocking chairs overlooking the water, a dog playing on the beach and the love between two opposites who came from totally different backgrounds who found each other and deserve all the happiness in the world.

I loved this book. Classic Elle Kennedy characters, great steam, a total joy to read. I can't wait for the next in the series!

I just finished Elle Kennedy's newest read, Good Girl Complex. I will say this book is unlike any other book Elle Kennedy has written. It was sweet, and quirky with a good amount of drama and tension. I loved every little bit of it. It's a perfect, quick and easy, beach read. I would easily compare it to a Christina Lauren novel as it has similar banter and romance aspects. I gave it a 3 star on goodreads because I felt like it could've been more. But I still loved what I read. Yes, I will recommend this title to friends and customers alike.

This is going to be another one of those weird reviews because … lol

Elle Kennedy has been a hit-or-miss author for me since the beginning of time. When I love her, I loooooooooooooove her and when I don’t, #twitchyX1000. Very rarely am I ever middle of the road. It’s weird, but it is what it is.

You should also know that since I’ve become an audio junkie of sorts, I have learned something that is very difficult to explain, but again, is what it is. I have found on many occasion that *listening* to a story can turn the experience of the story for me 180 degrees both positively and negatively. It’s a phenomenon I have learned to just accept without question. I don’t have a concrete way to explain the reasoning, so I’ll leave it at that.

That being said, if I’d have been *reading* this story instead of *listening* to the audio, I more than likely would have set it down to read something else very early on (probably no later than about 20%) and possibly not even finish the story because it’s cliche and pretty predictable and I could see the writing on the wall so what’s there to look forward to? *shrug* However, Joe Arden and Ava Erikson are really good at captivating and their performance was so stellar that I was sucked in with little hope of getting any sleep LOL They are both incredibly talented and I enjoyed this story more than I expected because they brought it to life and sucked me in.

The plot of Good Girl Complex is realistic and relatable and it happens all the time. It’s a tale as old as night. The haves vs the have nots is as old as Romeo and Juliette and unfortunately, Elle Kennedy didn’t spin it in any way that was original in my opinion. Her imagination was nowhere to be found and there were really more cliches than necessary.

Soooooooooo, this is my drawn out way of saying the story itself gets 3 stars from me but the audio experience gets a shinny 5 star rating :) I’ll be telling anyone who asks me my opinion that if they have a chance to pick audio over ebook, pick audio for this story! #TRUST

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Good Girl Complex, having had mixed experiences with Elle Kennedy’s books. The first book I read by her was The Deal and I absolutely loved it––it’s actually one of my favourite romance novels. Maybe because I loved it so much, it set a very high standard, or maybe the other tropes just weren’t as high on my preference list?…but in either case, the rest of the books in that series (aside from The Legacy, which I haven’t read yet) just didn’t live up to The Deal.

So, now that that’s out of the way, back to Good Girl Complex. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go…but I’m happy to announce that I really liked it! It’s now my second favourite Elle Kennedy book! I really liked the setting (and am happy that she will be writing at least another book set in the little beach town), and I also really liked the characters.

Mackenzie and Cooper had chemistry from the get-go and I loved reading about them. I also really liked the side characters and was happy to find out that two of them will be getting their own book i.e. the next one in the Avalon Bay series! But back to Mackenzie (I’m going to keep calling her that because I wasn’t a fan of her nickname––Mac) and Cooper.

I really enjoyed reading about them and following along, watching their relationship develop. There were some elements in Good Girl Complex that I hadn’t come across in other romance books before, which only made this read more fun. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. I definitely recommend this one and look forward to book 2––Bad Girl Reputation!

This was a really cute, light romance with the Rich Good Girl, Wrong Side of the Tracks Bad Boy premise.

What did I love:
1. I always enjoy Elle Kennedy’s writing - the story, the characters, the romance.
2. I loved Cooper and the way he did support the heroine in her endeavors, especially when she was controlled by so many.
3. I loved that Mac had the means and desire to make her own way and broke away from those who saw her a trophy.
4. Cooper and Mac were really cute together.
5. I loved the secondary cast and particularly Cooper’s brother Evan.
6. It had a cute ending and I enjoyed the book.
7. Great narrators. I really loved listening to it.

I wouldn’t say that there wasn’t anything I didn’t love, it just wasn’t a “I couldn’t put it down” type of book. There were areas that dragged a bit for me, but I still really enjoyed this standalone and am excited to read the next standalone from this world.

Good story!

Description
*USA Today and Toronto Star bestseller*

Full of romance, hijinks, and longing, Good Girl Complex is Elle Kennedy at her very best.

She does everything right. So what could go wrong?

Mackenzie “Mac” Cabot is a people pleaser. Her demanding parents. Her prep school friends. Her long-time boyfriend. It’s exhausting, really, always following the rules. All she wants to do is focus on growing her internet business, but first she must get a college degree at her parents’ insistence. That means moving to the beachside town of Avalon Bay, a community made up of locals and the wealthy students of Garnet College.

Twenty-year-old Mac has had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested. Cooper is rough around the edges. Raw. Candid. A threat to her ordered existence. Their friendship soon becomes the realest thing in her life.

Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn’t just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home.

I'll start by saying I love many of Elle Kennedy's books, and her Off-Campus series is one of my all time favorites. I was looking forward to a new series from this author, so I went in with high hopes. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get invested in these characters. Personally, I didn't connect to them and they didn't seem like people I would want to know. I'm a character driven reader, so when this happens I usually just DNF a book. I did stick it out hoping that this author could make them redeemable, but even at the end of the book, I just wasn't invested in these two, nor the friend group. While sometimes characters make decisions I don't like or agree with in books, they usually learn from them and grow, which makes me fall for them. I don't feel like these characters had real growth. I just wanted better from all of the characters (the couple and the friend group) throughout the entire story. I may check out book two after meeting the male main character in this one, because I do think the story had potential that may show up in book two.

Elle Kennedy has done it again. This author is so reliable at hitting the nails on the heads on the characters she creates and the situations they get put through. Writing romance must be so hard to keep things fresh and different from what everyone else is doi9ng but somehow she doe just that, Recommeded!