The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy is a breezy, easy-to-read summer romance set in the charming town of Avalon Bay. Cassie Soul returns to the beachside town for her last summer before adulthood and quickly finds herself drawn to Tate Bartlett, the local golden boy with a reputation for flings. The friends-to-lovers dynamic between them provides plenty of sweet and flirty moments, with Kennedy’s signature humor making it a fun read.

However, while the setup is engaging, the story feels a bit predictable, and the emotional depth between Cassie and Tate falls short. The potential for more meaningful character development—especially as secrets from Avalon Bay emerge—never quite materializes, and the plot twists don’t pack as much punch as expected. Tate’s transition from player to serious romantic interest is enjoyable but somewhat rushed, and Cassie’s journey of self-discovery is light but lacking the complexity I hoped for.

Overall, if you’re looking for a lighthearted, feel-good romance with a summery vibe and likeable characters, The Summer Girl fits the bill. Just don’t expect any major surprises or emotional depth along the way.

friends to lovers will always have a soft spot in my heart. i always thought i was a strict enemies to lovers girly but friends to lovers has been truly coming for its spot.

things i enjoyed:
- all the beach vibes
- the friend group
- how mature the characters were
-dual pov

definitely my favorite in this series

Summer Romance in Avalon Bay

The Summer Girl follows the story of Cassie Soul, a college student who hasn't spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay since her parents' divorce. Determined to make the most of her summer before starting her senior year at Briar U, Cassie arrives in Avalon Bay to stay with her grandmother. She's on a mission to have a summer fling and lose her virginity before returning to college. She quickly meets Tate Bartlett, a sailing instructor and the town's fun-loving golden boy. As their summer romance blossoms, Cassie and Tate navigate their personal insecurities and family dynamics, leading to a transformative summer for both.

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy is a delightful addition to the Avalon Bay series, offering a blend of romance, humour, and emotional depth. It is a perfect summer read that explores themes of love, self-discovery, and family. Despite some predictability, the engaging characters and heartfelt moments make it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

I enjoyed the Avalon Bay series, however, I didn't love them. Cassie and Tate have a fun summer fling while dealing with some bigger issues of family pressures and finances. I felt like the book to a minute to get going even as this is the third book in the series and it didn't need the world building like the previous novels.

This book was so freaking good! My favorite of the series for sure! The banter between all of the characters had me cracking up laughing! I love this friend group so much. I really loved Cassie and Tate together. He was such a sweet guy but dirty in all the best ways! I was shocked by the ending and didn’t see that coming at all!! I love Elle’s writing so freaking much! Thank so much NetGalley for the copy to read and review!

This book screams summer and I love it.

Cassie is looking for a summer fling to get some experience under her belt. And she thinks she found the perfect person to fling: Tate. But Tate isn't interested so instead he becomes Cassie's "wing" to try and find her a suitable guy for the summer. But the more Cassie and Tate spend time together, the more complicated it becomes.

I haven't read the other books in the series (yet) but I plan on doing that soon. I like the easy way that Kennedy writes and this is truly a perfect summer book. It's light, airy, sexy, and a fast read. On top of that, I was able to connect with and like the characters and their wit.

5 stars for a sizzling summer smash!

I love Elle Kennedy who doesn't? But when I heard it was low spice compared to her other books (which I already consider low spice) I was nervous! I'm a spice girl! I didn't need to worry though Tate and Cass were goals! Tate is so different from the male characters we usually get in books that are cocky bad boys who don't wanna stick around he was a good guy! And Cass was introverted and dealing with a parent who body shamed her and made her feel like crap. This book has emotion and depth and made me barely notice that it had low spice because when it did it DID!! SO GOOD!! I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK!

Elle Kennedy is everything. I’ve been reading her since Off Campus and this series is the best. I love everything about this book.

This book is the 3rd book in the Avalon Bay series. It is a very fast read just like the other two.

Cassie has returned to spend the summer with her grandmother, and she wants to find a fling for the summer.
On her first night at the bonfire she meets Tate, not knowing that he is going to be her neighbor for the summer. She’s all excited about meeting him, until she realizes that he has put her in a box just for friends. So, she decides to accept Tate as her wingman to help her find a summer fling. Or at least Tate thought he could help her. He didn’t realize that he would start to have feelings for her. Those feelings make it hard for him to help her find someone else.

This book is a lot better than I initially thought it would be. I like that they are friends and then become something more. That to me makes the best kind of relationship.

Dual POV
Friends to lovers
There was just enough spice in this book

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.
I would definitely recommend this book.

This was a great beach read for my winter Caribbean getaway! I absolutely adored this story! It was fast paced and the characters all seemed as though they could step right off of the page. Elle Kennedy knows how to create a fun world that she completely pulls the reader into and even though this is the 3rd book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

I adored this book! I went in expecting a lighthearted YA summer romance, but got way more than I bargained for. It was sweet, funny, and SUPER spicy! I would definitely recommend this. It would make a great summer beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC.

3.5 stars

The Summer Girl is Cassie and Tate's story, and my favorite of the Avalon Bay series.

Cassie is back in town visiting her grandma and getting to spend time with her dad and his family. She has complicated familial relationships as her parents divorced when she was young. Her mom is not a nice person and her dad seemed to move on with a new wife and twin daughters. She and Tate have an instant connection, but neither wants anything serious or long term. The more time they spend together, however, the deeper their feelings become.

The story flowed well and there was nice character growth and healing for both Cassie and Tate. I also liked getting to see characters from the previous books in the series and what they were up to now.

This was a great book to kick off summer reading! This summer vibes are strong, the chemistry and heat between the main characters is perfect, and it was just a really fun book! I don’t always go for the young adult/new adult genre, but I definitely think Elle Kennedy is a master of her craft. She knows how to capture younger characters that even those of us who may be closer in age to their parents can still relate to and identify with. There were also some really great family issues woven throughout the story that gave greater depth and dimension to the story.

If you love stories set in quaint seaside towns, friends to lovers romances, hot boy MMCs, and a slow burn (but not too slow), then I think you will really enjoy this book! This book has already been published, but I would still like to thank NetGalley for an opportunity to read and review this arc!

In "The Summer Girl" by Elle Kennedy we are brought back to Avalon Bay where we meet Cassie and Tate - sparks are there from the beginning but as Cassie searches out a "Summer Fling" Tate is warned off of breaking her heart. But the attraction is there and their friendship takes a turn. But there are secrets hidden that come out at the worst time. It seems Cassie just might by the "Summer Girl".

All the characters are back and have fun together at the annual beach tournament. Plus throw in a farting turtle and how can you not love the Bay.

I received an advanced copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

This is the perfect read for summer (or a beach/tropical vacation). It was a fun summer romance (which also had some major 'steam').

I had a really fantastic time reading this book! I really enjoy her writing, and this series has been really fantastic to read! I'm not sure if this is the end or not, I haven't seen anything about any other books, which is kinda sad, but I had a great time reading them!

These characters were just so great to read, Cassie is the granddaughter of the woman who used to own the hotel that Mac is buying, so I really enjoyed the connection there. If we've meet Tate, I do not really remember him, but I had a great time watching the pair of them fall in love!

It does feel like a theme, that at least one parent of one of the love interests is awful, which in this case in Cassie's mom, who was just awful. Imagine being kept away from half of your family by the one of your parents? Which is the only thing that she does, but she was just awful!

I had such a great time with this read, it was nice and relaxing, there was drama, but it wasn't life or death stakes, and was just a delight to read. I just really enjoyed these two, how they had this attraction, and were friends, and became more! It was just so cute!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read more by Elle Kennedy!

I’ve seen amazing things about this book and this author! I’m in the minority on this one - it was not for me. I hate that so much because I wanted to love this one so bad! I’m sure many people will bc it is great writing a cute premise.

This had an adult The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes so it's perfect for anyone who wants a fun beach read.

I finally got around to reading this book! I wasn't sure what to expect, as I have not read the first two books, but I should have expected this book to be smutty like my girl Elle Kennedy. Did I absolutely love it? No. Would I buy these books? No. Would I go to the library and rent the first an second books? Yes. I would say this book is the smutty sister of to "the Summer I Turned Pretty" series if you need encouragement to read this book.

I honestly love anything by Elle Kennedy! I love her writing style and the characters in this story. Is it too cliche to say that "Summer Girl" is a great summer read? lol