As per all of Elle Kennedy's books, I loved the characters. Gen is a firecracker and her journey to growth is so fun and inspiring. I think the only reason I can't give this book a higher rating is because she had two tropes I'm the least interested in: Second chance romance and friends to lovers. However despite the fact I have no interest in those usually, I did have moments of true enjoyment in this book. I laughed, I almost cried but mostly I smiled.

A few spelling mistakes but nothing too bad.

Thank you NetGallery, St. Martin's Press, and Elle Kennedy for this ARC copy of Bad Girl Reputation in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Tropes:
-Second Chance
-Small Town
-Loss + Grief
-Touch Him/Her and Die Vibes
-Other Men/Women
-Reconciliation

This second installment of the Avalon Bay series was incredible. There was definitely a different vibe in this book, but I was totally here for it!

After her mother's death, Gen finds herself back in Avalon Bay, helping her family get things together... and confronting her past. The events that had her leaving town over a year ago are still lingering, and challenge every bit of progress that she has made in her own self development. A huge portion of that is - Evan Hartley.

The hot and cold whiplash between Gen and Evan is rough at times to get through, This toxic nature was an inferno of miscommunication, burning desires, redeeming hope, and true love. A great love like theirs only comes once in a lifetime... and Evan is ready to go the distance to unearth the reasons Gen left... and fight to convince her that not only does she belong in Avalon Bay, but that she belongs with him.

Gen fights her inner demons on the romance front. On one hand - she has fought tooth and nail to shed her Bad Girl Reputation. The problem with Evan is that he seems to cast a shadow of that very reputation in their every encounter. She is determined to show that she has turned a new leaf, and opens herself up to date a new deputy. The problem is when you play with fire... you are bound to get burned. This new potential romance sparks something new within Evan that shows Gen new sides to her old flame. It causes her to question everything.

I love that this story really dives into the reality that people WILL change with the right motivation. Gen was incredibly relatable. I love the inevitable relationship our main characters shared. Elle Kennedy did it once again!

Another note: I really enjoyed seeing developments with other characters. The mom, Wyatt, Ren, Alanna. I can already see the wheels turning with potential for more books within this series, and I am greatly looking forward to reading every one of them!

I thought this was a pretty good read. I did like the first book better though, but this is a nice summer read!

This was my first Elle Kennedy read, and it did not disappoint. For someone who hadn't read Good Girl Complex, it made me want to read that story without causing any confusion during this installment in the series. This book was a second-chance romance after Genevieve basically ghosted her longtime on-again, off-again boyfriend, Evan. She comes back to Avalon Bay to help her father after her mother's death, and of course this brings her back to Evan, and the messy connection between the two of them. I enjoyed the natural chemistry between our two MCs-- they are clearly meant for each other. What I didn't enjoy was the lack of self-worth basically assigned to Genevieve by herself and others in the community, sometimes including Evan. That made it slightly difficult to read, although the progression of her character and relationships helped. All in all, if you like steamy second-chance romances with off-the-charts chemistry, this one is for you!

Genevieve and Evan have a history of making bad decisions together. When Genevieve comes back to town for her mothers funeral she runs back into Evan after leaving unexpectedly a year prior.

Throughout the story you see two character grow up. The question throughout the book was will they both be able to leave behind their bad reputation and be their best versions of theirselves together or will it break them apart.

This book was amazing! So well written and a great romance read.

A new Avalon Bay? Oh yes, please!
I devoured Good Girl Complex and needless to say BGR didn't disappoint me.

This second chance love story hit all the right spots.
Genevieve and Evan are engaging characters. Seriously I couldn't get enough of their story.
The storyline had me hooked from the beginning, the characters were so likeable.
This is one of those books that will undoubtedly leave me in a slump for days because I want to be back with Genevieve and Evan.
Such a fun and steamy romance, that had me in such a fog.
Elle Kennedy, knows how to tell one remarkable story.
I just love her damn books!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

St. Martin's Griffin,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Genevieve (Gen) and Evan have been making trouble, drinking, and causing problems together for years. Until about a year ago when Gen decided to clean up her act after a night she considers to be her bottom. She moves to another state and starts over until her mom dies and she has to return to Avalon Bay to help her dad run the family business. Now she is back in Evan's orbit but trying to break the chain of destruction that always seems to occur when those two are together. Can Evan show her he can be the kind of man she is looking for now?

This is he second book in the Avalon Bay series. If you enjoyed the first one, I anticipate you will like this one as well. The book is about people in their 20's and their lack of experience with real life and youth definitely shows in the story line, but if you know that going in its not a big deal. I liked Evan and Gen and their chemistry was certainly off the charts. I enjoyed seeing how Gen had grown up from their destructive path and was trying to get her life together. The best part of the book was watching Evan's transformation over the course of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more stories from Avalon Bay.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gen West moves back to her hometown after the death of her mother. Evan Hartley is Gen’s former best friend and ex-boyfriend and a contractor who renovates homes in their coastal town. I seem to be in the minority of readers who did not enjoy this novel much. Maybe I am getting too old for Elle Kennedy characters because they are always so young and immature. Right off the bat I felt uneasy about Gen and Evan’s relationship because they start hooking up in the bathroom right after her mother’s funeral. I’m sure Elle Kennedy was trying to show their explosive chemistry and how they couldn’t deny their attraction, but it just left a bad taste. I also felt like both Gen and Evan were kind of terrible people. They showed some growth and maturity by the end of the novel, but for three-quarters of it I was begging one of them to call a therapist for their emotional detachment and anger management issues. The sex is hot, but it just felt shallow because Gen was so against a real relationship with Evan again. If you’re into YA, former best friends, and second chance romance, this might be for you.

CW: alcohol addiction in parent, death of parent, corrupt local law enforcement, mention of SA

This was the first book that I’ve read by Elle Kennedy, and it will not be the last! I loved the dynamic between Genevieve and Evan. It was a beautiful story of what happens when the party girl and the bad boy grow up into legit adults. The character growth for both of them throughout the story is so impressive. I’m also a huge fan of any spicy romances, and this did not disappoint.

this was such a fun read i really enjoyed this!! this was infinitesimally better than the story and prequel
good girl complex. bad girl reputation is a story about
forgiveness, second chances and learning how to love.
this is probably my favourite elle kennedy book! I loved
the main couple, but also loved reading about mac and
cooper again. the drama in this book was truly better than
in the first installment. so happy I spent time reading this
one!

I've read a ton of Elle Kennedy's books at this point. I absolutely devoured the Off Campus series and its spinoff Briar U and it's very clear to me that Elle is consistently becoming a better writer. The writing in Good Girl Complex and Bad Girl Reputation was so much improved from the early Off Campus books and the characters are so compelling. I love the twins so much and both Mac and Gen are women I want to root for. However, this series has, so far, been much less smutty and quite a bit less fun than Off Campus and Briar U. The best of Elle's books are the ones with the most tension (The Score) and Bad Girl Reputation is lacking that. Evan and Gen seem fated to be together from the jump and despite their push and pull weren't many moments that made me feel giddy and anxious for the outcome. Regardless, this was a cute summer read and I definitely enjoyed it.

I absolutely love anything that Elle Kennedy writes. This book is no different. I did prefer Good Girl Complex to this book.

This book was a reunited lovers story of Evan and Gen. Gen came home for her mothers funeral and right off the bar almost makes an impulsive decision to sleep with Evan which attests to the type of relationship they had before Gen left. Gen is convinced she’s going to go home while Evan is determined to get her back. Throughout the story Gen deals with a trauma that happened to her after which she wanted to run to Evan but he was still in a party state. These decisions make Gen leave. These issues aren’t really resolved in the book. She left for specific reasons and it seems like Evan was only concerned with Gens brothers coming around and liking him. Gen never brings up the fact that Evan got into continuous fights and slept with so many girls while she was gone.

Overall I loved this book. These are issues that could have been resolved in the beginning of their relationship. These are not dealbreakers to me because everyone lives their life. I just wish we had some parts where they sat down and had an adult conversation. I did love this book but Cooper and Mac still have my heart.

Bad Girl Reputation follows Evan and Gen as they are reunited after being apart for over a year.

The two had what we could describe as a toxic on and off-again relationship in the past where they enabled each other's destructive behavior.

But from the moment Gen walks back into Evan's life, everything is different. She has changed. She is no longer the partying bad girl that wants the bad boy. So Evan has choices to make, either shape up or ship out.

I loved the banter between the two. It was comfortable and easy.

This book was about personal growth and learning to love again.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martins Press, for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Back to Avalon Bay we go and I loved being back!

It got me into all the summer vibes back in June, when I read this advanced copy.

This is book two of the series. The twins each have their own book and I will say, their stories are completely different. You get pieces of Genevieve in the first book, but you’re left wondering what her story still is. Evan intrigued me in Good Girl Complex and I was excited to read this story.

Overall I enjoyed the book and loved coming back to this world. Seeing some things come full circle with past characters was great to read about. I do wish I could have gotten a glimpse more into their past. There were moments where statements were made but not enough background was given. But I loved the growth the characters took along this journey.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first in the series. Good characters and a good pace! Fun reads and I'll keep checking them out!

I’d like to thank St. Martins Press and NetGalley for giving me this arc for Elle Kennedy, as always all thoughts are my own.
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Bad Girl Reputation follows Genevieve West former wild child who is back in home town Avalon Bay for mothers funeral where she is trying to forget his past until she see him her ex-boyfriend Evan Hartley. This story follows the two as they try to come to terms who they are as their own person when they are not a couple.
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Let’s start with what I liked about this book I liked that the whole theme of Genevieve trying to stay on a path of trying to better herself due to her past mistakes which we later learned towards the middle of the book why she left town. I also liked how even though she did give into her temptations she immediately would try to Right them so that she didn’t feel guilt within herself.
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What I did not like about this book and why I gave it three stars was that even though the book was long and I feel like the storyline could have been more progressive then it just being Evan changing himself just for Genevieve in the beginning and not believing that she was trying to change to the better. I felt like there could have been more conflict that really showed how much Genevieve is tested by her former party girl days.
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I did enjoy the dynamic of Evan and Genevieve after they got past why she was trying to change and Evan going through his changes, he never tried to force her to be the “life of the party” after they communicated why she left.
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Bad Girl Reputation is available at all major retailer on October 4th, 2022

4.25/5 stars
I loved this book! I have been wanting to get my hands on an Elle Kennedy book and I am glad this is the first one I got to read. It makes me want to get the first one in the Avalon Bay series. The chemistry between Evan and Gen was clear from the start and it was so strong. This novel had the perfect amount of sweetness and steaminess, what I especially enjoyed was the relationship Evan had with Riley because it gave him a chance to act as a big brother since Cooper had taken on that role.

Picking back up in Avalon Bay with #BadGirlReputation by @ellekennedy 🌊

Reformed party girl Genevieve finds herself back home in Avalon Bay for her mother’s funeral. She plans to help her dad’s business temporarily and get back out of town… except her on again off again ex-boyfriend, Evan, has different plans.

Despite trying to keep their distance, Genevieve and Evan collide almost immediately into a delicious push-and-pull attempt at a second chance romance. Can they both move on from their bad reputations & really make a new start together? Will Genevieve ever regain her footing in her old town and let it feel like home? 🏘

While I loved the prequel, Good Girl Complex, I *adored* Genevieve and Evan’s angst-filled, sparks-flying, childhood romance grown up story. It can be read standalone or as part of the series. TW: there are some heavy topics including drug and substance abuse and problematic police officers, but, they keep the fast paced plot moving.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Bad Girl Repuration! Fingers crossed for a third installment in Avalon Bay!

Big thank you to Net Galley & St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Elle Kennedy is a must read author for me but this book won’t be included in my list of favorites. A second chance romance for childhood sweethearts Gen and Evan when Gen returns to their hometown after disappearing without a word. Gen wants to grow up and act like a responsible adult which makes her think that a relationship with Evan is out of the question. The only thing out of the question for Evan is a life without Gen. The chemistry between the two of them is scorching and Kennedy”s writing always makes the pages turn quickly. I found other aspects of the book less satisfying. Their group of friends annoyed me and Al of their antics came across as more mean spirited and judgmental rather than justified. The us versus them mentality they had towards anyone not a townie got old. really quickly as did using people to make others jealous.. They all felt so much younger than they were supposed to be.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After all of the love I had for Good Girl Complex, I was sooo excited for this book! I love Elle Kennedy and had very high hopes, but this fell a little flat for me.

I really enjoyed Gen and Evan’s story but it just felt like something was missing. I really liked Cooper and Mac’s story because it gave me Outer Banks vibes and set up the environment so well, but I think that was missing from this one. Understandable because it’s a sequel, but the town just lost some of its magic.

You could see that Genevieve had changed, but I didn’t really have a moment where I saw that Evan REALLY changed. He was always the softer-hearted twin and even with the Big Brother storyline it felt a little like he was just going through the motions?

I also think the book could use some more backstory behind Gen and Evan’s relationship. We hear about all of the trouble they got into but no real interpersonal details from that time before, which seems odd to me because Evan was so wrecked when she left? I think it could just use a little more finessing. I did like the ending a lot so that gave it a bump in my eyes. Rounding up from 3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!