This was by far the best of the Avalon Bay books. Cassie was funny and awkward and so relatable. Tate was a surprise. I didn't expect him to be such a emotionally sensitive guy. I loved how their relationship flowed, and how Cassie found her confidence and figured out how to stand up for herself.

Firstly, I received a copy of this novel on NetGalley for my honest review.

Summer Girl is a part of the Avalon Bay series of romances by Elle Kennedy. This is a perfect pool side or beach read. It’s a little cheesy, a little juvenile at times, but all charm and so cute. Meet Cassie, slightly-awkward college girl visiting her grandmother at Avalon Bay who is looking for a summer fling. She babbles when she’s nervous and her internal dialogue is hilarious. Cassie meets Tate, a sailing instructor and new wingman to help her find her summer fling. Their chemistry is instant and undeniable but Tate isn’t looking for anything serious.

I enjoyed this novel but admittedly cringed a few time at the cheesiness. If you’re looking for a cute summer read, this is the novel for you.

This was hands down my favorite of the series so far. Everything finally came together for me, which was a relief because not loving books by Elle Kennedy hurts my heart.

Cassie is in town for the summer and looking for a fling. Should be easy enough but she isn’t often super attracted to guys, has a tendency to babble when uncomfortable, and she meets and is friend zoned right away by Tate, easily the hottest guy she has ever met. When Tate agrees to be her wingman it seems like the perfect arrangement but as they spend more and more time together all those reasons they would be better as friends start getting hazy. Cassie was a really fun heroine. Her babbling was actually very charming. I am someone who hates over the top drama in books but I actually found her family issues interesting and at the moment where I worried it would spiral into eyeroll inducing, it levels out nicely. Tate is all well meaning charm and I loved the way the two became friends with the lighthearted joking before they became more. This would be a great beach read- some drama, some heat, nothing too taxing on the brain, just a fun book to escape the world with.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Girl was a great take on the typical summer fling in a small town trope. While still being light and fun in many aspects, the book also delved in various important things that may hit close to home with some readers, things like divorce, overcritical mothers, forging relatioships with stepparents, and developing self-esteem.

The two main characters of this book, Cassie and Tate, were both realistic and likeable. They had great banter as well as great chemistry. Their story was supported by a great cast of supporting characters as well. The author's creation of this fun seaside town with its quirky people and silly traditions make the reader long for a trip to the beach.

After reading The Summer Girl, I want to jump back and read the earlier installments in the series -- not because you have to to get into this one, but because they're probably just as fantastic as this book is!

**I want to start by being fully transparent; I received this as an ARC from publisher and NetGalley BUT that does NOT sway my feelings/opinions at all. This is a fully unbiased review formed from my own thoughts after reading. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me this eARC copy**

Not going to lie, felt a bit too boring and I feel like I am not the right person to have read this. Since reading the first two in this series I have grown in my reading so this felt a bit juvenile to me

Just the book to get you ready for summer!

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.

Perfect summer beach read! I’ve had a lot of fun reading this series and couldn’t wait for Cassie and Tate’s story. Cassie is young, but mature. She’s very likable and easy to just fall in love with. Her and Tate have a ton of chemistry and leaves you rooting for the two to make it work.

I really enjoyed how the author handled toxic family members. A light, fun romance with EK’s romance spice thrown in!

Shut the front door, I LOVEDDDDD THIS BOOK. I went in not really sure what to expect as I haven't read the other.books in the Avalon Bay series. I was blown away by this romance.

Yes, the friends to lovers story is cute. Yes, their ending had me giddy and smiling. But there's so much more here.

This book had me both laughing and crying. I'm honestly not sure the last time a book made me laugh this much. Out loud. Getting weird looks from my husband 🤣

I loved both Cassie and Tate's characters and I loved how they pushed each other to be better versions of themselves. I loved watching Cassie step into her own and learn boundaries, self respect, and find love. I even loved watching Tate grow around his family drama, learning the people are just people and that no one is perfect.

I think this author did a great job showing the intricacies of different family dynamics and how quick things can change and evolve.

This book made me purchase the other Avalon Bay books, it was that good.

As a note, on page 234 the word "felt" is printed, I believe it should be "fell".

Lastly, I'd like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and Elle Kennedy for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Girl has me dreaming of summer!

This book has it all - romance, spice, conflict, and fun!

I didn't realize that this darling novel was the third in the series so I had to go and read the other two (however, you can definitely read out of order as I learned!)

"The Summer Girl" by Elle Kennedy is a fun and entertaining summer romance that will leave readers feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. The story follows Cassie Soul, a college student who returns to her family's boardwalk hotel in Avalon Bay for the summer, hoping to find herself a summer fling. She quickly sets her sights on Tate Bartlett, the town's sailing instructor and resident playboy. Despite Tate's initial reluctance to pursue anything serious with Cassie, their chemistry is undeniable, and they soon find themselves walking the line between friends and lovers.

The characters in this novel are well-developed and likable, particularly Cassie and Tate, who are both complex and flawed in their own ways. The chemistry between them is electric, and the slow burn of their romance is deliciously satisfying. The setting of Avalon Bay is also well-described, making readers feel as if they are right there on the beach with Cassie and Tate.

One of the strengths of this novel is its balance between light-hearted romance and more serious themes. The story touches on topics such as family, loyalty, and trust, adding depth to the plot and making the characters more relatable. The plot is also well-paced, with enough twists and turns to keep readers engaged throughout.

Overall, "The Summer Girl" is a delightful summer read that fans of romance and contemporary fiction will enjoy. It's the perfect book to bring to the beach or curl up with on a lazy afternoon. Elle Kennedy has once again proven herself to be a talented author in the genre, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

If you're looking for a great beach read this summer, look no farther! I absolutely loved this book! It gives off such great summer vibes, campfires on the beach, a fun beach game competition and snuggling on the dock. The Summer Girl is my favorite book of the Avalon Bay series so far, but I also enjoyed the first two books as. This works as a stand-alone book as well.
The Summer Girl starts off with such a funny and akward meet-cute, the chemistry between Cassie and Tate is evident, and the banter is so much fun. I loved seeing this relationship blossom from friends to fling, and boy it gets pretty steamy when they finally start to fling! I also loved seeing Cassie learn to express her feelings with others.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

This is a new to me author. This is book 3 in a 3 book series titled Avalon Bay. It can certainly be read as a stand alone, but you will get updates on the main characters in the other books in this one!

This book follows Cassie, a college student, who is spending her summer with her grandmother in the coastal town of Avalon Bay in SC. She runs into Tate, who is house sitting the home next door. Cassie is determined to have a summer "fling" and is looking for the right guy to make it happen. Tate fits the bill perfectly, except he doesn't want to do it in fear that Cassie will develop feelings.

This was a great read. I think there was a great balance of heat and emotion/depth of the characters. I found it unusual that the man characters where in their early twenties, but it is certainly not a young adult read either. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would be interested in more opportunities to read more by this author. Perfect beach book!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of this book! This review is my own words and thoughts.

This book! This is my first book by Elle Kennedy so I wasn't sure what to expect but my expectations were definitely exceeded. This is the perfect Beach read or transition from Winter to spring book. This book is full of spice, love and growth. The main character Cassie is spending her summer in Avalon Bay where her family has deep roots. She is looking for a Summer fling and she finds the perfect candidate, Tate. Watching their relationship go from friend zone to friends with benefits status is one that will keep you on the edge of your seat! The window scene...DYIINNGG! Without providing spoilers this is a great read that keep you wanting to more. I am now officially an Elle Kennedy fan and will be searching out more books of her. 5 stars for sure!

This was a good, quick read. Can be standalone from the other series. Cassie’s mom was very unlikeable. Wish there was more of Tate and Cassie at the end.

This is book #3 in the Avalon Bay series and the MMC is Tate from the first two books and good friends with the MMCs in those.

This was a quick easy read that I finished while enjoying the beach in SC so it was an appropriate read. The FMC, Cassie, attends Briar University but I can’t remember if she was in either of the series that take place at BU.

Cassie was adorably quirky with her nervous babbling and while I was worried that Tate would be kind of a douche with his player ways, he was super cute — especially when he was acting as a crap wingman to Cassie. There were definitely some LOL moments and some unexpected family drama that I can totally relate too.

Since this is part of a series, I would recommend reading them in order to enhance the experience, it isn’t necessary and I read book 2 before book 1. If you are looking for a great vacation read with a little bit of spice, this checks off those boxes and you can’t go wrong with Elle Kennedy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy, and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley, for letting me read “The Summer Girl”
This is part three of the Avalon Bay series.
I read the first two parts and absolutely loved them and was so excited to read the 3rd book.
Tropes
- Friends to lovers
- Summer beach town setting
- Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I love the Avalon Bay series, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this book. Fluff, angst, chemistry, and spice—all things I look for in a beach town romance. Cassandra is spending the summer at Avalon Bay. She's living with her grandmother, who owned the renowned Beacon Hotel. This book follows Cassie throughout the summer as she looks all over Avalon Bay for a summer fling. It's the summer before her college senior year and she wants to make some changes. She meets Tate and they get along well and share a lot of chemistry. Tate puts her in the friend- zone but as they spend more time together, the line starts to blur. I love Cassie's character so much. She is very loveable and sweet but not overly naive and I how talkative she can be when she is anxious. She had a lot of self-doubts as well, but as the book develops she starts to grow and we see a lot of character development. I also love her relationship with Tate. The book has a nice amount of spice. While not dominating the narrative, there are definitely hot moments. Overall a really great book it was fun, quick, and easy to read. After reading Mackenzie and Genevieve's stories I really enjoyed reading about Cassie.

I absolutely love this series and I was so excited to get this arc! I’ve been wanting to see Tate get his happy ever after since book one! I really enjoyed getting to Ellie & learn more about Tate. I really enjoyed getting to see more of the other characters of this book and the fact that it focused on the hotel! I was so glad when Ellie stood up to her horrible mom! Tate is such a good guy! If you love the other books in this series don’t wait to check this one out

The titular "summer girl," Cassie Soul, returns to her hometown of Avalon Bay to escape her narcissistic mother and find a cute boy for her first summer fling. She finds her fling in local beach hunk Tate Bartlett, but they have one rule: no falling in love.

I actually made it halfway through the book before realizing it was part of a series. So if they'd like, someone could pick the romantic trope in the collection that they like most. If girl-next-door+wholesome playboy is your thing, this is the book for you. I really appreciated that the characters actually communicate with each other and that it felt like they had lives outside of their romantic relationships. The romance was very sweet, healthy, and a little sexy but I also enjoyed the plotlines outside of the love story like Cassie's complicated relationship with her divorced parents.

The only thing that lowered my enjoyment was some personal pet peeves I have that appeared in the main characters. I spent 16 years in schools with very white and wealthy populations and at times Cassie and a few others reminded me a bit too much of the people I actually know and don't love spending time with.

3 star
This is a summer read and a fast paced and easy read. This plot line has a friends to lover trope and the book follows the FMC and MMC, Casey (20) and Tate (23). There's family drama along with Casey's 21st birthday that brings both Casey and Tate together. The spice in this book is THERE like a 3 chili pepper spiceeee. If I had to point out what lacked in this book was the FMC's character development and it left me wanting more :(

LOVED

this was a great addition to the Avalon Bay series!

-college age students
-friends to summer fling to lovers
-drama!!!
-spice

I just loved this book and thought it was so fun and flew through it. Tate and Cassie were IT for me. I loved how their friendship turned summer fling turned love developed. There's also some suspense and some twists towards the end!

Love EK's writing style and I'll read whatever she writes.

This is a tough book for me to review, because I’m not sure if the issues I have with it are actual problems with the book or if it’s just me. So what are those issues. This is the book first book I’ve read in this series but that didn’t pose any real problems. I also quite like the setting of a small beach town in the summer. The characters had potential: Cassie comes from a wealthy family but her mother is horrible and she feels her dad abandoned her after the divorce and even more so when he started a new family. She absolutely adores her half-sisters though. Tate comes from the perfect family but feels he’s getting forced into the family business. So this all of this is promising, but I just couldn’t relate to either of them. And this may just be a me-issue because of their ages: Cassie is 20 and Tate 23, and to me they seemed young and a little stupid. The same was true for their friends. They were in their early twenties but one of them was renovating a massive and fancy hotel with what must have been a multi-million dollar budget. I find that hard to believe. Of course, this was all in a previous book so maybe this is just a me-issue again.
Anyway, since I couldn’t get invested in the characters and therefore their romance, the book was a little boring for me. Of course, there was the obligatory 3rd-act break-up and that just didn’t make sense at all. The reason didn’t fit that character in any way. So that didn’t help the book.