The Summer Girl
4-4.5 ⭐️

This trip back to Avalon Bay just might be my favorite!

Synopsis: College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston. Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that’s been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday… and maybe find herself a summer fling.

I started this one while away on a girls weekend with my bestie and I flew through it. The story had the perfect summer/beach town setting that set the perfect reading mood and the well paced flow kept the pages turning with ease. Cassie and Tate were so much fun. Their banter was hilarious (those nicknames) and their chemistry was undeniably hot. 🥵

I adored the friendships and enjoyed that we get to catch up with our favorite characters from the previous books, but my favorite relationship was between Cassie and her Grandmother. It was so darn sweet and made me think of and miss mine. 🥰

What I enjoyed;
☀️ Friends to Lovers
☀️ LOL Banter
☀️ The Spice
☀️ Family Drama
☀️ Grandma/Lydia

The Summer Girl publishes 7/18 and you’re going to want this swoony emotional romance in your beach bag. While you don’t “need” to read the first two books, the previous characters were so much fun, so why not!?

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a good addition to the Avalon Bay series. I’ll admit I went into it unsure how much I’d like Tate as a lead, but Tate and Cassie were great together.

This is a small-town, friends-to-lovers romance featuring a summer fling that is meant to be much more.

The main characters were great although some of the secondary characters, while necessary for conflict, were a bit difficult. I will say the Elle Kennedy has not shied away from strained parent-child relationships in this series!

What I loved in this book:
✔️ Friends-to-lovers
✔️ Small town setting
✔️ Chosen family
✔️ Growing in confidence (both)


💚 Mental Health Awareness Month 💚

There is quite a bit of discussion about navigating a toxic relationship with a narcissist which is good to see reflected!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Elle Kennedy for a chance to read this summer romance

📖 I received a gifted e-book copy in exchange for an honest review ✍🏻

Read dates: 05/21/2023- 05/24/2023
Goodreads review posted: 05/24/2023
Instagram review posted: 05/25/2023

The Summer Girl is the third and final book in the Avalon Bay series by Elle Kennedy and I have to say it's definitely my favorite out of all three!

The Summer Girl is the story of Cassie and Tate. Tate is the nice guy but also the hookup guy. He's not looking for any type of relationship and his usual FWB, Alana, just told him she's done and just wants to go back to being friends. Cassie, who's in town for the summer, just happens to over hear the "dumping" and can't help but feel awkward especially when Tate catches her trying to sneak off. They quickly become friends and almost more but Tate backs off with the intention of trying to protect Cassie and her feelings. He ends up becoming a sort of wingman and their friendship continue to blossom.

I found Tate to be soooo sweet and funny. He was just an all around great guy and I definitely think that was what Cassie needed and deserved for her first time. Cassie has had it a bit rough but always manages to find the silver lining in every situation and I really admire that about her. Her mom can kick rocks though, jesus what an awful human being. I really loved her grandmother too, even though I thought for a second she would keel over...you scared me more than once Elle! Getting to see how everyone reacted to the restoration of the Beacon was cool too. We started with it in basically ruins in the first book and now we get to see the grand reopening in the last, very nice! And getting more of the couples from the previous books was great too, the beach games were HILARIOUS! I wish we got a bonus scene of the results of the bet the girls and the twins made that would've been icing on the cake!

Overall this was definitely a hit for me! It was refreshing to read a romance where the main conflict isn't even about the featured couple. Some might call this too sweet of a book but I really liked it and it was so easy to read and I did not want to put it down because I just needed more of Tate and Cassie! Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for gifting me an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Fun summer read, this would be perfect to read on a beach vacation! I enjoyed the writing style, and though there are other books in this series, it works as a standalone.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! This is technically a stand alone but I should have probably read the first two books before going into this one. That's besides the point since I read the other two after reading this one and it was still a fun circle. The characters in this book will always be my favorite out of the series though. The normal-ish romance with all the spice and drama they had was so incredibly perfect. I love plots where the guy has to help the girl date and this book took it to the next level. And Cassie's grandma is such a sweetheart.

-1 because the breakup near the end was for the stupidest reason. it didn't make any sense that they wouldn't fight for their relationship

Cassie arrives in Avalon Bay where she plans to spend the summer caching up with her friends and family, and hopefully also find herself a summer fling candidate. On her first night in town, she meets Tate, a golden boy sail instructor and lovable player.

Even though he very nicely rejects her proposition for a summer fling, he instead offers to be her wingman and help her with her mission. As the two of them spend more time together, they form a strong friendship that turns into a bit more.

I loved Tate, I think he is the best character out of this entire series. I liked Cooper and Evan, but felt like their storylines were a bit over the top, with too much drama. While this book has it’s fair share of drama and secrets, I think it’s the best book in the series. Tate was incredibly supportive of Cassie from the beginning and there was no miscommunication which I LOVED.

The relationship between Tate and Cassie reminded me a lot of Hannah and Graham, so if you liked The Deal, you will definitely like this book as well.

I am giving this book three stars instead of four because of the third act. I would have liked for them to navigate the conflict at the end a bit more differently.

Overall, a cute, steamy, enjoyable read that will take you out of a slump. I read this book over the course of two days.

Favorite tropes:
Friends to Lovers
Banter & nicknames

3/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am generally a fan of Elle Kennedy’s so I requested this book despite not loving the previous installment in the series and I’m so glad I did. I was in the market for a book to break a mini reading slump and this fit the bill. I appreciated that it didn’t rely so heavily on classic romance novel tropes compared to the other books in this series. And given that I wasn’t as invested in this one at first because I didn’t really remember much about Tate from last books, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this one. It definitely restored my interest in this series, especially as I am still waiting for what I hope will be an eventual Alana/Wyatt book, though this book introduced a few side characters I wouldn’t mind following further, namely Peyton and Joy, the latter of which was nicely set up for a possible tie in with the few mentions of Isaiah. I will say that I was surprised to get Tate’s book third given Alana was so present at the end of the second book, but I’m cautiously optimistic that her story is next now that the love triangle has been squared away and addressed.

I guess this is the third book in a series, but I didn’t realize that and it read just fine as a stand alone. In this story we meet Cassie a wealthy college girl staying with her grandmother at the beach for the summer helping her grandmother say goodbye to their family run hotel. Cassie has always been jealous of people who have had passionate summer flings so she decides she is going to try to have one this summer. The problem is, she gets so anxious that she starts babbling when she tries to meet new people. When she meets Tate, the local ultimate play boy she thinks she has found the solution to her problem, except he refuses to be her fling. Tate is a local play boy and sailing instructor, who loves a good fling but can’t help but feel like Cassie is a girl deserving of more than he can give. As the summer goes on and both Tate and Cassie decide to be friends, the chemistry between them gets harder to ignore. I loved how Cassie developed in this book, and how she worked to gain confidence and find her voice. The setting was beautiful and made for the perfect summer beach read. As a trigger warning, this book does contain emotional abuse, body image issues, and a toxic parent child relationship involving narcissism. So be aware of that before you pick this book up to take to the beach. An enjoyable quick read. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

This is my first Elle Kennedy book and I don’t think it will be my last. It’s a fun, flirty and fast read and it was the perfect way to kick off summer (even if I wasn’t on a beach reading).

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Three and a half stars, rounded up.

As a HUGE fan of the Briar U series, let me tell you I ran to my kindle when I got approved! Thank you to NG and the publisher for this preview!

Elle Kennedy has done it again - charming her way into our hearts with the perfect blend of summer romance, emotional rollercoasters, hot men and lovable heroines!

thank you NetGalley for my copy of The Summer Girl!

I loved this book so much, I was hesitant because I didn’t read the synopsis going in & i thought it was going to be about Tate & Alana or something else entirely. But from start to finish I was so intrigued. I am actually on summer vacation in the midst of island hopping and I devoured this book in 24 hours.

Cassie & Tate both have such interesting family lives & the way they meet is adorable. I would say this is a very peculiar meet cute ? Anyways, they spark up a friendship because Cassie wants someone who is fling material since she’s never had a fling before. A summer fling is all she wants & when she propositions Tate & it’s shut down, he agrees to be her wingman.

The progression of their story, the romance, the steam, the family drama, it was all so perfect. I also pride myself on not being surprised much in books but wow was I shocked at a major plot point in the book. It wasn’t too life altering but it added so much more to the story & I think this story was done so well <3

"Summer lovin' happened so fast. Summer lovin' had me a blast". And yes...we meet a girl that may just be crazy for him and a boy that's "cute as can be." This book is the perfect summer read and starts out pretty light without much drama. This is the third book in the Avalon Bay series which revolves around different local friends and their love interests. You don't need to read the first two books which was about twin brothers but I did and found this story was quite a step away from the vibe in those books.

Tate, our local H, we're told is quite good looking and gets around while Cassie arrives for the summer before her last year in college. Her parents are divorced and she stays with her grandma who happens to live next door to a house that Tate is watching for the summer. They meet up and shy Cassie finds him quite good looking while Tate isn't immune to her either. What I found endearing is that Tate seems to find some self control when it comes to Cassie and the first half is mostly about their friendship developing. I don't want to spoil anything but it was nice(if not dramatic) to see them develop a platonic relationship first. I thought this first half was a little slow but definitely had some lol moments.

Then the second half revs up a bit and things change...quite a bit. Elle Kennedy can definitely deliver with some drama and although this one is a less spicy than the first two, I really liked it. I stayed up until 3 am to finish this book from about the 50% mark. I definitely don't want to spoil anything but will say I thought I had some scenarios predicted but I was caught off a bit in what transpired. The ending was satisfying but I felt like alot did happen the last few chapters. It's mostly realistic but I did think some of what occurred was pushed into the ending to wrap things up. Overall it's a nice summer read or the type of book to read between others when you want a break but still feel satisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Elle Kennedy for the ARC of this book. Definitely will be buying the paperback to match my other two in this series when it's released.

We enjoyed the first two of this series more than this follow-up - it almost feels as though the friend group is regressing, which is an odd tone. It would be nice to see more group dynamics and movement, and more maturity from the characters.

Thanks, NetGalley, for this ARC! I was in the mood for a summer romance novel and I was not let down! Admittedly, I am an Elle Kennedy fan - all of the books I have read from her have resulted in some pretty serious book boyfriends for me. The Summer Girl is no different! I loved the characters in this and enjoyed the plot. This is the perfect summer read for the beach, on a patio or by the pool! I will be recommending to my friends.

This is Elle Kenndey’s latest book”The Summer Girl.” This had me nervous since I had read the off-campus series and was worried I wasn’t going to enjoy this one since it wasn’t a sports romance but I was proven wrong

This follows the story of Cassie, a girl who is spending the summer with her grandma in Avalon Bay and hopes to reconnect with her dad’s world while also finding a summer fling.
Upon her first party in town she is alone and witness a guy get dumped and then has to play it cool. However, she cannot do such a thing and to make matters worse discoveries they are next door neighbours by looking through her bedroom window and finding him in a compromising position.
Cassie is in her last year at Briar University and intends to finish. While Tate her neighbour has a life in Avalon is working to take over his family’s business and follow his dreams.

Cassie has a complicated life with both parents of never feeling good enough and believes there is always a silver lining. Even though her mother is a narcissist and her dad created a new family.

I rated this book 4/5 stars and really my only issue comes from the 3rd act breakup where there was no fight. It was mutual, and although I understand it. It felt out of character for new Cassie. I also didn’t like Cassie’s boobs being mentioned so often, like I didn’t understand why it was brought up while talking about the summer games.

Tropes: Next door Neighbors, forced proximity, wingman, small beach town and friends with benefits.

Tate and Cassie are a cute couple that grows and learns from one another throughout the story, and it is that personal growth that sticks with me. There is a ton of references that happen in the beginning that wrap around to the end.

I also appreciated the nod to briar university that it is also where Cassie goes to school. Feels nostalgic for me.

This can be read as a standalone or you can read the series, I personally only read this one but I think I’m going to go back and read the other two to finish the series

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s never a good sign when you say “What the actual fuck is this book?” out loud.

Solid premise and solid main characters! i wish we would had more intimate moments between Cassie and Tate! Yes, the chemistry was there but it felt a little surface level for my taste.

The third act conflict is so goddamn stupid i could not handle it!

Overall, I would only reread the cute/sexy moments between Tate and Cassie. Not my fav my Elle Kennedy, but it was worth to pass the time! (definitely better than the first two in the series)

This was my first book by Elle Kennedy & it won't be my last. I received an ARC through Net Galley. I was a little hesitant because this was the third book in the Avalon Bay series, however, I didn't feel like I missed anything & it does make me want to read the other books in the series. This was a great summertime read! It took me back to my high school/college days & all the fun I had at the beach.

The two main characters are Cassie & Tate. Cassie is a "Summer Girl" being that she's only visiting for the summer & Tate is the town playboy. I went in blind with this story. I had no clue about the premise or anything in this series & it seemed like a great summer read, which was what I was hoping for & I got it! I related so much to Cassie, even with her internal dialogue & the things she struggles with. Both characters were very mature & I think everything was handled very realistically. This book surprisingly brought out many emotions for me from giddy, swoony, & steamy to anxiety & heartbreak then back to swoon. I definitely recommend reading this book & I really loved it!

I am a sucker for summer-themed books. As we're approaching summer, this was the perfect story to set up this season! I need to find me my own sensitive and hot sailor that's for sure. It's lighthearted, fun, sweet, and jaw-dropping. This is part of a series but can definitely be read as a standalone.

Cassie is visiting her grandmother for the summer in Avalon Bay. She is also on the lookout for a summer fling. She meets Tate, a gorgeous sailor, living next door to her! Tate doesn't agree to be her fling, but instead chooses to be her wingman. Obviously this doesn't go well and they turn into flings anyway!

I thought Cassie was adorable. I really enjoyed her character. Little oblivious at times but definitely not naive. I also adored Tate. He was sweet and sensitive. He cares so much and puts a lot of love into the things he cares about. This book also discusses Cassie's complicated relationship with her mom, who is truly a piece of work and very dislikable! The ending absolutely threw me for a loop. I quite literally dropped my jaw, which is how I knew this book impacted me!

I give this book a 4.5/5. I really enjoyed it although some parts of the story felt like it was dragging on and could've been resolved way faster.

4.5 stars rounded to 5.

This was my first Elle Kennedy read, and I really enjoyed her writing style. (Plus this absolutely holds up as a standalone!)

THE PREMISE:
Cassie is visiting her childhood town, Avalon Bay, for the summer and is looking for her summer fling. She meets Tate, who is somehow both a f*ckboy and a golden retriever, and despite instant attraction, they decide it’s best to just be friends to avoid accidental feelings. They battle that tension as they juggle both friendship and chemistry.

MY REVIEW:
I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought this was going to feel more YA-esque, but it was delightfully not. The characters are in their early 20’s though, so don’t expect 100% maturity. There was character growth and communication, which I love to see in contemporary romance. Minus ½ star because the ending and the ‘secrets’ that were promised in the book blurb felt rushed. But overall, I loved Cassie and Tate’s banter and friendship-turned-relationship. I would 100% pick up the rest of the Avalon Bay series after reading this one.

Huge thanks to Elle Kennedy, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one.