Overview:
- forced proximity
- friends to lovers
- virgin fmc
- renowned fuckboy
- summer fling
- family drama

This is such a cute lil summertime series. Every book is heartwarming and cute and fun. But it also had its moments of pulling on your heartstrings with family secrets, Cassie’s narcissistic mother, and big decisions.

From the start Cassie wanted to have a summer fling, something she’s never done before and she spends weeks in Avalon Bay searching for someone who would fit the mold. No relationships, just fun. Tate, notorious fuck boy who doesn’t do relationships is dumped by his current FWB and happens to run into Cassie right after it happens. Tate and Cassie were lusting after each other from the moment they met, but didn’t want to admit it. That is until it becomes unbearable, as Cassie discovers that Tate is going to be her neighbor for the whole summer.

I really enjoyed this book, and this series. They are quick, heartwarming, funny books that are a nice pick me up. I was so excited for Tate’s book based on his character from the first two, but I rated it 4 stars because I definitely thought his book was going to be a little smuttier than the first two and it wasn’t.

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Elle
Kennedy and NetGalley for the eARC of The Summer Girl! Available now.

I think this has been my favorite book out of the Avalon Bay series. Even though this book didn't have the higher spice level like Good Girl Complex and Bad Girl Reputation, this one had such a pure aspect to the main characters. I absolutely loved Nate and Cassie's connection, friendship, and relationship. I loved that there was no miscommunication trope there, and they were upfront with each other from the very beginning. The banter was entertaining, the sexual tension was strong, and there were even some twists in there that I did not see coming! I also love that Kennedy adds in specks of characters from the previous books so that we can get a peek into where they stand now.
If you are looking for a fun and cozy summer read, this is the book for you!

The Summer Girl is my best read from Elle Kennedy so far.

I loved Cassy so much. She made me laugh out loud many times. She's so relatable. The way she babbled every time she was nervous made me smile.

Her relationship with Tate was beautiful. I loved how it evolved. The friendship she forged with him before being lovers was incredible.
Tate helped her so much. He helped her find herself and her voice and to find herself worthy.
I was actually sad to finish the book and let these characters go. I wish I could have more from them.

"You've changed me. [...] You taught me how to stand up for myself. How to be honest with the people around me. I used to be a real chickenshit. But you make me feel strong ".

This book is perfect for a summer read. Pick it up for yourself, you won't regret it.

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy
Romance, Rom-com
Pub Day: July 18, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This is the third book in the Avalon Bay series. These books continue to get better with each one! This story is about Cassie and Tate. Cassie grew up in Avalon Bay but moved away when her parents got a divorce. Tate has lived in the bay since his family moved there when he was a young kid.

Cassie has come back to Avalon for the summer to help her grandmother with moving and to see off their family hotel. She is finishing up college back in Boston and wondering what her plans are for the future. Her relationships are strained with both her mother and father and she is always just trying to keep the peace. Then Cassie meets Tate the most handsome guy she’s ever met. He is perfect for her plan of a summer fling.

Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, both not sure they want to catch any feelings. Although what ends up happening isn’t anything they expected.

I really enjoyed Cassie and Tates story! The banter was adorable and their connection was spicy. That window scene 🥵

Love this book and highly recommend it!

3.5 stars

I was in the mood for something with small town summer vibes and this series hasn't let me down so far in terms of that. The romance was cute but all the drama at the end felt way too packed in and made for such an abrupt ending.

⭐️: 3/5
🌶️: 🌶️/5

I don’t know why I was expecting this one to be better than the last, the ending made it .5 stars higher for me because I’m a sucker for a happily ever after. And if you like an insta love this one is right for you!

The beginning was very frustrating, all these characters are in their early to mid twenties but sure as heck acted like high school sophomores the majority of the time. Something about the drinking culture in Elle Kennedys books just rubs me wrong.

I didn’t enjoy how Cassie was set up to be this bold and brave character that spoke her mind yet she couldn’t stand up to her moms abuse at 21 years old. The whole thing with her mom and Tate’s dad also felt so random and out of the blue. It felt like it was thrown in there because there was no other conflict that could possibly keep these two characters apart. Especially after the two main characters confess their feeling for each other and there’s so sign of a third act breakup. just didn't make sense at all and it kinda ruined the whole thing if I’m being honest.

Tate’s character was nothing special in the slightest either. The only thing I liked about him was how outspoken and unapologetically honest he was. His communication skills were refreshing for a male character who was written to be a play thing.

Overall it wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible!

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Elle Kennedy for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love reading a story set in Avalon Bay. Cassie is from Avalon Bay but had to move when she was younger because of her parents divorce. She is back the summer of her 21st birthday for a final goodbye to her grandma's house because it has sold and will be out of the family by the end of summer. The hotel that her grandparents owned has also been renovated and is reopening. She is also looking to have a summer fling like a "normal" person. Tate works at the yacht club and for his family marina. He is also house sitting the house next door to Cassie. The sparks fly between them so Cassie thinks maybe he could be her fling. Tate isn't sure because he doesn't want a relationship. But finally, he can no longer resist her and they start a fling. Highly recommend reading this to see what happens with them and what has been happening with the others from previous books.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This book was so adorable and fun. It is fun, it is deep, it is sweet. The summer fling aspect is done perfectly, sprinkled in with some real life issues and drama. The characters are well developed, the story is a great escape from reality. The power of friends and family - both good and bad - are strong in this book. At times I wanted to jump into the pages to be a part of the character's lives. The romance part is not over done or unrealistic, the characters are aware and honest about their feelings, to themselves and others, so at no point did I want to throw the book at a wall. Overall, a really adorable and well done story!

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy!

Cassie is spending one more summer with her grandmother in Avalon Bay before she starts her senior year of college in the fall and her grandmother moves to Boston. Cassie is interested in having a summer fling and finds the perfect candidate, Tate Bartlett. He’s handsome, funny and quite the ladies man. That is, until he puts her in the friend zone because he isn’t looking for any kind of relationship. As their friendship grows they can’t deny their chemistry any longer but things get complicated once summer comes to an end and secrets are revealed.

I love how Tate makes Cassie feel and was so sweet. It was great seeing her confidence grow throughout the book and her fixing her troubled relationship with her dad.

I’m not sure what took me so long to read this ARC but I wish I would’ve read it sooner. I liked the first two books of this series but this one was my favorite. I love Elle Kennedy books. She has a certain way of drawing you into a story where you can envision everything and fall in love with characters.


Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

Cassie is searching for a summer fling while staying with her grandma in Avalon Bay. Tate, the yacht instructor currently house sitting for her grandma's neighbor, seems like the perfect candidate until he friend zones her. As they spend more time together, staying just friends gets more difficult.

Although I liked Cassie and Tate together, it was hard to see them being more than a fling. The chemistry was present but I was not sure if I saw or felt enough for them to have something more long-term.

There's a lot going on in the book, but Kennedy somehow manages to make it flow together so well. From the romance to navigating famlial relationships, it never feels overwhelming or that not enough time is spent on each of these elements. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Read this if you enjoy:
✨️summer flings
✨️small town romance
✨️awkward first meetings

Cassie Soul is preparing to spend her summer for the first time since her parents divorce in Avalon Bay. During the summer she has a checklist: spend time with her family, ring in her 21st birthday and have a summer fling. After an awkward first meeting, she meets the perfect candidate, Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun loving golden boy. But not wanting to break Cassie’s heart,he friendzones her. As they get closer he realizes that he has made a mistake and wants the fling now, and maybe something more. As they take the step between friends to lovers, they discover that Avalon Bay is full of secrets and those secrets may tear them apart.
Elle Kennedy has done it again. I have been a fan of her books since the Off Campus books and the Avalon bay series doesn’t disappoint. This was a perfect beach read, my one complaint was that I wasn’t on the beach to read it. The relationship between Tate and Cassie was cute and had the perfect level of spice I’m a sucker for the friends to lovers trope, and this book did a good job of it. I also enjoyed how the story intertwined the family drama into the story. Thanks NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: New Adult Romance
Setting: Avalon Bay
Time: current day
Format: 📖
Release Date: July 18, 2023
Length: 401 pages

When I requested this book, I did not realize it was part of a series, I have to assume that reading it as a standalone did not make a different.

The Summer Girl is a friend to lover story. Cassie Soul’s has not been to Avalon Bay since her parents divorced. Now that grandmother has decided to sell the family boardwalk hotel Cassie has decided to spend one last summer at Avalon Bay .. to help her grandmother, spend time with her dad, her stepmom and two little sisters, celebrate her twenty-first birthday and have a summer fling. Her first night in Avalon looked very promising .. Tate Bartlett seems to fit the bill to have her summer fling with.

Tate is spending his fourth summer staying at the Jackson lavishness waterfront property. When he finds out that Cassie is his next door neighbor, having a fling with her and maybe breaking her heart he decided as much as he desires more, friends is what it will be and Cassie’s wingman. As Tate becomes more and more attracted to Cassie, he realizes that this only friendship thing was a big mistake. As these two start to traverse from friendship to lovers .. that this is the least complicate thing happening in their lives.

I was hoping this was going to be a fun quick summer read – it really was not. In fact, three stars is rather high. Cassie’s character was ok, but I found her rather insecure, she seemed to focus that her boobs were too big. Tate .. humm .. typical playboy. I really did not connect with these two characters. Cassie Mom’s little secret kind of came out of nowhere but it added a little excitement at the end. The book is better geared to transition a YA to new adult – it just was not for me.

Thank you, Elle Kennedy, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on July 18, 2023.

4⭐️

This is such a great summer read; it fulfilled my expectations of its super cute cover + title, and it being a continuation of the Avalon Bay series. Loved Cassie and Tate so much!!

I'm not usually the biggest fan of romances that start from flings, just because of how often it's seen in real life (with all of what seems to be this generations 'situationships'). Fortunately for me, this book actually made it work, and the characters had enough depth and chemistry that I was rooting for them the entire time.

The other plotlines in the story really got to me as well, and I actually teared up near the end. So while it was a fun and lighthearted book, it also pulled at the heart strings.

With everything going on, it was somewhat of a stretched out read. It wasn't as "short and sweet" as Bad Girl Reputation for example, but still had the spice and tension I expected from Elle Kennedy:) This was a fun read, with really lovable characters.

The Summer Girl releases tomorrow so happy release day, and thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

I went into this unsure how I would feel. I was excited when the first book in this series came out but as the series has progressed, I’ve found myself not craving the stories. That being said, I feel that this book is a good standard contemporary romance. It didn’t blow me out of the water, but I did enjoy it and it was a fun read.

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy was such a fun read. It’s the perfect kind of book to pick up while you’re lounging by the pool on a hot summer day.

I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by Elle Kennedy and I must admit that this is actually the first book I’ve read from the Avalon Bay series… whoops! This is actually book #3 in the series, but it can totally be read as a standalone.

Cassie and Tate’s story begins when Cassie arrives at Avalon Bay and decides she wants a summer fling. Tate is the perfect candidate as he is known for never being in a serious relationship. When Cassie proposes this to Tate, he agrees, but Tate soon realizes that Cassie is not “fling material” she is “serious material” and so he decides to friend-zone her.

I absolutely LOVED Cassie and Tate’s story. It was nice to see their relationship grow from acquaintances to friends to falling in love with each other. Their chemistry was great and they had so many adorable moments that made me all giddy and warm and fuzzy while reading.

I recommend you pick this one up. There’s flirtation, friendship, romance, steaminess, and a sprinkle of drama towards the end that’ll make you want to continue reading to find out how their story unfolds.


*A huge thanks to Elle Kennedy, NetGalley, and St Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC for review. All thoughts are my own.*

This has been my favorite of the series so far! I immediately loved Cassie and Tate. The way they hit it off right away and were able to take that chemistry & banter and grow their friendship was adorable! I loved how they were there for each other no matter what the situation. Tate made Cassie see her worth and pushed her to stand up for herself. Cassie helped him realize he wanted more than he was used to in relationships and more than he thought his future would be. There were definitely some harder, angsty parts throughout, but that's not surprising as most of the characters in this series have dealt with some pretty difficult stuff. Elle writes really relatable characters, even if their struggles are not the same as yours, it's easy to put yourself in their shoes because she makes you really feel for them. Thank you to Elle, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Ah- the best in the series so far! Cassie and Tate are so delightful together! This friends to lovers story is really sweet and bingeable. With a heroine who is so sweet, a hero with amazing golden retriever energy, and palpable chemistry, this is is such a dreamy beach read!

Our heroine Cassie is in Avalon Bay for the summer to visit her grandma as per tradition, only this summer isn't a normal summer. Her grandmother has sold their family hotel, the Beacon, after half a century of owning it. Needless to say, this summer will be different- but Cassie needs an escape for her daily life, including her toxic mother. What better to help take your mind off things than going away- and perhaps even having a vacation fling! Cue our delicious hero Tate, a serial dater who is just epically charming and likable. He's got a gig housesitting next door to Cassie for the summer, and the two strike up a lovable and engrossing friendship.

The friendship part of this story is what made it so great- it feels authentic and genuinely created. The relationship evolves so naturally- like OG Elle Kennedy vibes. They have an open and honest friendship, one that gives their relationship a real emotional underpinning. The chemistry is great! Tate is so dreamy and adorable- total teddy bear hero- and Cassie is cutely awkward and so lovable.

The characters are really endearing, their chemistry is beautifully created, and I loved the whole vibe. While there are some serious elements they deal with, it's mostly light and breezy. The best yet of the Avalon Bay world!

This is a very sexy beach read. Read it by the water at the beach because you are going to need to jump in and cool off after more than a few extra spicy parts. This lighthearted, sexy romance between Tate and Cassie brings back old friends from Avalon Bay and reminds us of the sexy hockey boys waiting at Briar when summer is over. The fun (and at times outright funny) parts are pleasantly balanced with sincere moments. It’s a sweet story of family and friendship and of course over the top sexy characters that we have come to expect from Elle Kennedy. This one was by far my favorite in the series because though it is incredibly spicy at times, it had a solid storyline and great characters.

3.5 Stars! A cute summer read! Elle Kennedy's The Summer Girl follows Cassie during her first summer vacation back in Avalon Bay after her parents divorce. During her summer off from college, she makes it her mission to find a summer fling. She runs straight into her neighbor Tate and finds a potential candidate. This was my first Elle Kennedy read and I enjoyed it!

*may contain spoilers*
Cassie & Tate. They are so superior. I can hands down say that this was the best book in the series. All of the books in this series are great but this one in particular had the juice that made me not be able to put it down. I’m so in love with Cassie and Tate. The way he loves her and helps her love herself even though her mother tears her down. Their laughs. Their relationship with each other so great. I especially loved the little twist that was added towards the end 🫣. My heart dropped so fast. I was not even expecting it. I gasped so loud 😅. My heart broke for both Tate and Cassie in that moment because he was watching his perfect family crumble while Cassie was shocked that her mother would do such a thing. I LOVED Cassie’s grandma so much. She loved Cassie with her entire heart and looked out for her. It melted my heart. I love Nia being there for Cassie when she broke down and encouraging her to tell her dad how she felt. Literally had me crying. It so pissed me off when Tate’s mom told him to stop seeing Cassie because it was a reminder. I was furious at his mom and her mom. This book broke me and put me back together. This book is so amazing. Truly recommend giving it a read. I can’t imagine not reading this book now that I’ve read it!