If you’re looking for the perfect light beach read then look no further!

This is the third installment of the Avalon Bay series but can absolutely be read as a standalone! The Summer Girl follows Cassie as she spends the summer before her senior year in college at Avalon Bay in search of her first ever summer fling.

Tate and Cassie have amazing chemistry and the angst was incredible. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!

If you love dual POV, friends to lovers, small towns and some spice in your romcoms I would absolutely recommend checking this one out.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and the author for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.75/5

This was a really solid book that I enjoyed. I would say it’s good, not great. The first half was slow and felt predictable and vapid. I liked Cassie and Tate as characters, but felt like I knew where the story was going. I would rate the first half of this book 3 stars. However, as I kept reading, I became more engage and intrigued by the story. What seemed fairly simple ended up delving into complex family and relationship issues. I absolutely love that this story touched on deeply personal and intricate family matters without the reader even realizing it until the critical plot twist toward the end. I think that the second half of this book deserves 4 or 4.5 stars. I am glad I stuck with it because I think that the story line paid off and came together in a very realistic, yet difficult, way.

Pros: entertaining story, likable characters, enjoyable setting (really feels like a summer vacation), unpredictable plot twist

Cons: I really did not enjoy how the first half of the book went on and on about Cassie being a virgin and the size of her boobs. I know that these contribute to her character’s insecurities, but it felt like this was brought up too much. As the story progressed, neither of these are brought up much (maybe like once in the second half of the book?)

Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a beach read that delves into complex family dynamics, without going overkill or encroaching on literary drama/fiction territory. It provides a believable love story, where both main characters are likable and unique in their own ways, but balances out the romance with friendship and realistic life obstacles.

The Summer Girl is the third book in the Avalon Bay series. I was super happy for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review- thank you #Netgalley! This was a fantastic beach read I had the pleasure f finishing on my vacation. I love romcoms and this one did not disappoint- I’m looking forward to going back and reading the first two in the series.

The third book in this Avalon Bay series, and possibly my favorite.
Follows Tate (one of the twin’s friends) and Cassie as they try to have a summer fling that turns into more.
Loved the angst, the character growth and the twist at the end.

A absolute wonderful feel good romantic comedy that anyone who is a fan of the genre will fall in love with

Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice 🌶 🌶 🌶

My Thoughts ~ throughly enjoyed reading this book, surprisingly this is my first read by the author and I can't wait to dive into more of her books. I will say I adored Tate, he was at first portrayed as a hookup only type of guy who I thought I wouldn't enjoy but woah did his character surprise me turned out to be SUCH a sweetheart and EVERYTHING Cassie needed in her life. Cassie was such a great character she was fun, Carring, smart. There banter and flirtation was great. I loved the back ground and different things going on between family members within the original plot. Such a sweet love story with a TON of spicy added to the mix of things.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, but it doesn’t influence my opinion of the book nor the contents of this review in any way.

The Summer Girl is DEFINITELY my favorite in the Avalon Bay series so far!! I really wasn't sure about this series with the first two books, and likely wouldn't have continued if I didn't get approved for this ARC. However I have to say, this book really won me over in a big way.

The first thing I loved: The Grandma! Miss Girl was SO funny, and I enjoyed her every interaction. I was also happy to meet the original owner of the Beacon Hotel, and her classy but sassy personality matched my expectations perfectly.

Tate Bartlett was also a huge win. He was such a fun, sweet and sexy guy - literally - and I adored that he was such a family guy :) Bit him in the ass later, but ya know. Cassie was also a super fun heroine, laidback but sassy and adorable in the greatest way.

There were several tropes in this one that I wasn't expecting that just completely won me over. First of all, I love a wingman/lessons in seduction dynamic. Oh, you want to friend zone me but you'll help me find a guy to have a summer fling with? Cool cool cool. You also want to practice kissing?? Right yeah let's do it. Can't wait 🥹👏🏻 PLUS THERE WERE NICKNAMES 😁

A friends-to-lovers dynamic is always fun, but this was exceptional. Peeking through their facing bedroom windows at each other??? PLEASE!!! It's giving Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me" music video and I'm here for it.

I glimpse a flash of movement next door. It's messed up, this strange synchronization Cassie and I have going on. As she passes her window, I narrow my eyes, frown, then grab my phone to text her.
Me: You're wearing pink to your carnival date? No.
Cassie: Why not??
Me: Because you'll get lost in a sea of cotton candy. You won't stand out.
Cassie: But I look cute in pink.
I can't argue with that. As it happens, she looks cute in everything, but I keep that observation to myself.

We were also introduced to a Landon, and I hope we see more of him later. I'm intrigued :)

There was also a super fun summer field-day competition thing between all the local businesses (this is why I adore small town romances) that had me genuinely ANXIOUS for them to win!!! Screw sports romance excitement, we need more field day games!!! 🙌🏼 Goodbye hockey romances, hello speed sand castle building - okay that was a little too far. I could never get rid of hockey.

This was one of those rare stories where I actually really liked the third-act conflict. There wasn't an arbitrary and out-of-character breakup happening, but something much more interesting.

Spoiler: I also love the representation in this story that it's okay to break off family that doesn't serve you or isn't good for you. I was really happy that Cassie and her mom didn't end up totally improving their relationship within a week or so, but instead Cassie spoke her truth and cut her off. More of this please in romance.

This small, coastal town romance was the perfect read during spring break and will be an excellent beach read selection this summer! Now I'm very much looking forward to the next installment ✨

Back in Avalon Bay for the third book in this series! But honestly I feel like these books could be read as stand alones and you wouldn’t be missing very much info.

Would recommend if you like summer/beach flings, family drama, dual POV, neighbor romance!

I think it’s a cute summer read and the publishing date is 7/18/23!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley & Elle Kennedy for access to an arc copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 ⭐️

First of all, I am so so happy that I was able to read this book ahead of time. I’ve been reading this whole series and I was really excited for this book! I really enjoyed getting a little peak into how the previous relationships were going.

Cassie is someone who I related to throughout this novel. She has a lot of family issues surrounding her mother, her parents being divorced and her grandma on her mother’s side being almost a bestfriend to her. Describes my situation to an absolute T right now and that helped me connect to her. It was cool to meet the grandma who sold the hotel and get more background into her.

Tate is your typical player, who surprisingly is super honest from the beginning and doesn’t break any hearts? He has really good banter, not many family issues, and a huge passion for sailing. He seems pretty perfect- couldn’t connect to him as much.

Together they seem like a really cute couple- Cassie just wants a fling to lose her virginity and it’s a cat and mouse game between them for a while. Once they get into it, they’re pretty good together!

The smut scenes are as good as Elle Kennedy does- I always love a book by her. Will there be another addition to this series? 👀

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and it was so adorably cute I couldn’t get enough! I loved the relationship between Tate and Cassie, the complicated history and ties to their families, and the extended friend group that make coming back to Avalon Bay so enjoyable every time! The tension, the banter, the boating, and the growth were just chefs kiss! Seeing the tough times along with the good also made it feel that much more real. Super endearing!

I thought this was a fun summertime type read and I know our patrons will enjoy it, too. We are definitely purchasing for the branch. Thank you!

🏖️ Romance/Contemporary
📱 eARC
➡️ for blurb!


💭 THOUGHTS 💭

Ok, so I absolutely love Tate. We’ll just start there.

This is the first book by Elle that I’ve actually read (whoops) but it definitely won’t be my last. While at times I felt the book could have been condensed in some chapters, the character building, the dialogue, the passion, the SPICE – EXCUSE ME – CHAPTER 15?!?!?!?!! – was just great.

The conflict was heartbreaking and unconventional compared to other books I’ve read; I tell ya, if you have a character with a toxic parent it’s game over. I’ll cry and sob and be angry but Elle’s story ripped me raw and while I did feel exposed reading through Cassie’s conflict with her mommah – it was therapeutic in a way. I’m thankful for authors who shine a light on toxic parenting because I really feel like it’s not showcased enough.

Cassie struggles with her inner demons, courtesy of her tumultuous relationship with her mom, and it’s empowering to see her find her inner voice with the help of Tate. Tate is such a genuine guy and a sweetheart and a tease but a respectful tease and UGH. I just loved this.

In a dual-POV story, I can with 100% certainty tell you I did NOT see that ending coming, which was a nice surprise for me. I really enjoyed the unpredictability in this story and the conflict resolution was believable which was refreshing.

Again, just going back to chapter 15, I will think about this chapter for a loooooong time. The passion and spice and connections are just *chef’s kiss*. While I’m not shy when it comes to reading spicy scenes I LOVE when the spice doesn’t overpower the book. This was just the right amount and was a nice accent to the storyline.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Elle and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

This book comes out on July 18, 2023!!!

Full of Elle Kennedy’s humor and wit, this slow burn, spicy, summer romance is not one to be missed. I love all Elle’s books and this is no exception. She’s the queen of unexpected plot twists that rip your heart out and put it back together. I blow through her books because I need to know what happens next. She’s one of my favorite authors and I can’t say enough good things about The Summer Girl. Check it out for yourself and you’ll understand what makes it so good! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a good light beach read based on summer, love and opportunity. I recommend it to anyone looking to have a Spirits lifted and enjoy a quick read.

The Avalon Bay series is one of my favorites, and this new addition is no exception. Cassie and Tate have an instant chemistry, but instead of jumping into a summer fling like Cassie wants, Tate decides to just be friends. That's a choice he quickly regrets. As their friendship and the potential for romance grows, Cassie and Tate navigate family dynamics and discover secrets they would never have suspected. Can their bond withstand the stress of it all? Read to find out!

This was actually my first Avalon Bay book, but not my first Elle Kennedy book and she didn't disappoint with this. I'm definitely going to be going back and buying the first two immediately.

I'm not a summer/beach kind of girl and at all. I love winter and snow far too much, but this definitely made me want to go hit the beach this summer.

I loved Cassie so much. I relate to her in so many ways.

This book was so easy to fall into this story. Good fun and good spice!

Loved the cover and the title! The story was really cute and I enjoyed the characters and their development.

Rising college senior Cassie Soul is back in Avalon Bay for what could be her last summer in the idyllic beach town where she used to spend a lot of time, before her parent's spiteful divorce. Her grandmother has sold the hotel that was the family's epicenter, her beloved grandfather is dead, and her dad has a new wife and children. As much as Cassie loves Avalon Bay, things are different this time around.

Tate Bartlett is just the guy to take Cassie's mind off things for the time being, in the form of a summer fling. But Tate knows once he opens up to Cassie, this won't be just another fling. Tate is a long-time Avalon Bay resident and has his whole life ready and waiting for him there: he'll take over his dad's business and teach sailing at the yacht club, just like he has done for years.

This story has all the classic elements of a fun, lighthearted romance. Cassie is lovable and vulnerable, and Tate is more self-aware than most. Their banter is zippy and authentic. And yes it is SPICY.

While the plot is generally light in nature, some of the background topics that come up are more weighty. Cassie has to work through her parent's divorce, her mom's narcissism and general awfulness, what it's like when someone you love seems like they're just out of reach. Most notably, the third act twist is a DOOZY and brings up a lot of family history and secrets.

This is the second book by Elle Kennedy that I have read. My first book was the second in the Avalon Bay series and I own the first book and can't wait to go read that one. This third in the series did not disappoint. This is the story of Cassie coming back to Avalon Bay to spend one last summer with her grandma before the family hotel is officially reopened with new owners. Cassie decides she needs to find a summer fling. She meets Tate her first night and thinks he would be an ideal candidate. Tate likes Cassie too much to be a fling and knows Cassie will probably catch feelings. He decides they are better off as friends, but those lines quickly begin to blur. I loved Tate and the sweet man that he was to Cassie and that he had such a great relationship with his parents. Elle Kennedy did a great job of incorporating some nasty secrets and having a true villain in this story. The romance was sweet and spicy. This book left me wishing I was sitting on the beach enjoying this book as the author used great imagery to transport the reader.

An enjoyable return to Avalon Bay, I appreciated these two charming, slightly dorkier characters compared to the “cool kids” in prior stories in this series. Besides the slightly devastating twist at the end (which was then resolved very quickly), it was a lovely quick read that got me out of a reading rut. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This comes out in July.