The Summer Girl | Elle Kennedy
Summer fling turned the real thing in a coastal vacation town

Tate has a reputation in Avalon Bay. He’s charmed nearly every girl in Avalon Bay, but never falls in love. He may get around, but it always ends with no hard feelings. Contrary to his player status, he hasn’t left a trail of broken hearts because the rules are always clear: no getting attached because this is only fun and temporary. Cassie is back in town for the summer as her grandmother says farewell to the family hotel. While she looks the part of every summer clone with the good name and family fortune, she realizes that she’s been playing the emotional-neutral game for too long and the one thing missing is passion. Tate may be the perfect mix of looks, charm, and experience, but can Cassie possibly hook-up all summer without catching feelings? More importantly, can Tate?

Boy, do I love a player with substance; sweet and spicy, all the way. I love the chemistry between Cassie and Tate that jumps off the page from the very start. Thankfully, it’s not some insta-love situation where the guy changes his ways with a single look. The development of this relationship seems a bit more realistic and true to the characters and how people behave outside of a romance novel. They both try denying the connection, and the grip is tight on the ‘just friends’ declaration. It doesn’t take long to recognize the unique way that they bring out the best in each other (emotionally, and on a spicier level). I’m a big fan of emotional depth in characters so seeing the inner workings of Cassie’s family relationships was a brilliant balance to the romantic tension and spice.

From a plot perspective, everything was running so smoothly for so long that I was on the very edge of my seat anticipating the third-act breakdown. Brace yourselves! There were unexpected tears and heartbreak that I didn’t think there were enough pages left to resolve HOWEVER I was not disappointed. Surprisingly emotional but truly beautiful resolution, so don’t worry  I have enjoyed residing in Avalon Bay for the last week or so – The Summer Girl is third in the series so far so I made sure to catch up before diving into this part of the story. I’m sure there will be more to come – all in all, a brilliant beach read: Country Clubs, boardwalk strolls, wingman ad the local with live music, beach bonfires, and all the spice that comes with the BEST summer flings.

4/5 stars
Massive thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC for review!

Many thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC!

I am really enjoying this series and love seeing the character development. This book follows Avalon Bay local Tate and "new" summer girl Cassie as they meet and try to just be friends. I definitely recommend reading these, I can't wait to see who the next book focuses on (Wyatt?, Heidi?)

Of course Elle does it again i freaking love all her books!! The spice the plot everything is just amazing!! Cant wait to read some more books she releases! This was book 3 in the series and it does not disappoint ❤️

This is a fun beach read! It was a happy surprise to get a Valentine email from NetGalley with this book available to read! This is book 3 in the Avalon Bay Series and it stood well on its own.. It was a coming of age story about Cassie Soul, a college senior coming to Avalon Bay to stay for the summer with her Grandma as they see the beautiful restoration of a hotel that was originally owned by her family. She is hoping to enjoy a summer fling and meets Tate, her neighbor. He’s a sailing instructor at a club and also helps his dad out at their boat store. He thinks Cassie is gorgeous and funny but wants to just be friends, so he doesn’t break her heart. I liked that they got to know each other as friends before they get together.

Cassie’s mom is the villain in the story and very nasty the way she body shames Cassie among other things. Her father also lives in Avalon with his new wife and twin girls and Cassie would like to be closer to them. Cassie is also thinking about what she wants to do once she graduates. I really liked both Cassie and Tate. Tate’s close to his parents and dreams of sailing solo on a trip.

The book’s also got some spice (It’s Elle Kennedy, after all) and when Tate sees Cassie start to date Aaron, he decides he wants to risk it and go out with her. Their romance was sweet.

There are some big twists I didn’t see coming, wow! It took me a little to get hooked into the story but then it was hard to put down. Thank you Elle Kennedy, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for this fun summer read.

The Summer Girl was a quick, fun perfect beach read. It has me very excited for summer and warmer weather!

Apparently, I am on some sort of friends-to-lovers kick, and I’m not mad about it. While the friendship came about quickly between Cassie and Tate, I found it believable and really enjoyed their chemistry and love story.

I have not read the other two books in the Avalon Bay series, but I did not feel like I was missing any vital information by not having read them. The other characters made appearances, but nothing that really took away from the storyline.

If you enjoyed Elle Kennedy’s “Off-Campus” or “Briar-U” series, I think you will also enjoy this book. I am excited to go back and read the first two in the series! This releases July 18th!


Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Looking for the perfect summer beach read? This checks all the boxes! Perfect balance of romance and comedy. A villain everyone loves to hate. The peak teddy bear male lead. A plot that is binge worthy from start to finish.



Cassie is adorable with her babbling when she gets nervous. Her confidence is endearing when she is true to herself when others talk down to her.



Tate has no shortage of women willing to occupy his bed. He is attractive, sweet, and most of all respectful. Tate happens to be house sitting next door to Cassie. Their bedrooms happen to be across from each other and wandering eyes can lead to something new.



The author did a fabulous job making the side characters' drama impact our main plot. I did not see the plot twists coming and it increased my interest in this story.



This story has the perfect setting of a beautiful beach town in the midst of summer. I read this book on a rainy February day and the summer vibes in this story are making me long for warmer days.



Pick this up for your beach read and you won’t regret it!

Cassie and Tate, I loved them so much 😍

This is the 3rd book in the Avalon Bay series and dare I say I may have loved this just as much as the first! So freaking good! The dynamic between them both was 🔥 and it was so fun to catch up with the previous characters. I really did enjoy the family aspect for both Cassie and Tate as well.

Cassie navigates between having a narcissist mother and a father who has been distant since the divorce. Tate on the other hand has a family that is nothing but love. However, I did not see the twist that was coming

Highly recommend this one!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5⭐️ thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC. This was definitely my favourite of the Avalon Bay series. I found Cassie so relatable. The incredibly judgemental parent, the nervous babbling, the feelings of inadequacy…100% me plus I’m a large chested redhead so I think I might be bias when it comes to Cassie.
I also loved Tate. It was refreshing to read about a “player” who was respectful and kind towards women and who didn’t take himself too seriously. He was the perfect compliment to Cassie’s character. Their dialogue and banter together was excellent!
My only complaint was that I really don’t enjoy stories where adults/parents act horribly and just seem to get away with it. It just bothered me how it seemed like everyone was aware of Victoria’s malicious and manipulative behaviour but didn’t call her out and didn’t protect Cassie from her abuse.
Thank you for this fun and romantic book. I enjoyed it immensely! Can’t wait for more Elle Kennedy.

Cassie winds up back in Avalon Bay to spend the summer with her grandmother, Lydia Tanner. Their family used to own the Beacon Hotel and she is excited to see what is happening with the renovations that Mackenzie has been doing. Cassie meets Tate at a party at the beach where he hears him getting his walking papers from Alana. Cassie tries to discretely walk away, but she gets busted by Tate. They feel sparks but then Mackenzie tells Tate that he should back off because she promised Lydia that she would look after Cassie. It seemed that no one really cared what Cassie wanted. Tate was a standup guy and I liked how he tried to put Cassie first. He really didn't intentionally play games with her, though he was quite confusing with his push/pull. Cassie is not used to laying out her feelings, she just bottles them up inside. Tate helps her to realize that she needs to speak up for herself, especially with her mother. Her mother is, quite frankly, a monster and she came across as a horrible human being. Cassie also resents her father for not fighting for her. He let her mother maintain custody of her, knowing how awful her mother is. I didn't blame Cassie for wanting to let her feelings be known. Tate feels blessed by his family and tries to get Cassie to try and find her voice. They both were very likable characters and I really did enjoy their story. I liked the ending and actually kind of wanted more of them. I don't want to give away too many details, but I will say this was my favorite of this series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion, which I have given above.

This was my first dive into an Elle Kennedy book and I was not disappointed! The writing was absolutely fabulous. Elle bailed Tate and Cassie’s different in personality during their perspective chapters. It was cute, fun, a little bit of spice, and the family issues hit home. I could definitely imagine seeing this as a TV show and is 100% the perfect summer book.
I’ll be stocking up on Elle Kennedy books now for sure!

Cute light summer read. Really love the cover. Thanks NetGalley for the arc copy, opinions are my own.

This is my favorite in the Avalon Bay Series! It was cute and funny and Tate and Cassie’s friendship to more was so good! I thought it had a good balance too with past characters from Good Girl Complex and Bad Girl Reputation. Elle Kennedy books are basically automatic 5 stars because I can’t put them down until I get to the last page!

Another amazing chapter in this series! I love that we learn about who Tate is - I love how Elle Kennedy does character development! Such great sweet passionate depth.

AHHHHHH I really really loved The Summer Girl!

first off, thank you NetGalley for the ARC- I enjoyed having Bad Girl Reputation last year and this one was an exciting surprise!

First off I adore Cassie and Tate, their banter and immediate connection is so great. The way it started was absolutely hilarious and I truly did have more giggle moments reading this.

Cassie is such an endearing FMC. Her character development was so natural and made sense towards the end. Her confidence, even in the beginning is truly inspiring. She’s also super fiery, competitive, and so selfless towards others. Sunshine, summer girl- she’s definetly one of my favorite Elle Kennedy characters.

Tate- you little hoe☺️ I loved seeing more about his character since we’ve had glimpses of him in Good Girl Complex and Bad Girl Reputation. He’s a golden boy (and a f boy) but you know with respect. He’s super genuine and I loved that he didn’t want to fall for Cassie but he did. From fling to forever right😭 I sincerely loved his character and that we saw more to him. This boy is so sweet and hard working. Weird that we never really bring Alana back up again but as stated constantly- she had no heart/emotions invested.(maybe in another book with another man?) realy glad we didn’t get the basic oh she actually DOES have feelings but he’s in love with Cassie.

I loved how Cassie fit into the Avalon group so naturally and it’s not written in a forced way. Her relationship with the girls is just so sweet and I loved that she had Joy and Peyton and her grandmother on her side even from before. Mac is so sweet to her grandmother and I’m glad we saw the opening of the hotel as a side plot.

This is now among my favorite Elle Kennedy books(The Deal and Garrett Graham are just 😍🥰) - I just love a good summer romance.

SPOILERS**

Plot Notes-
okay so we all know Tate is a f boy and that Cassie just wants a fling. Fast forward to them just being friends and Tate being her wingman. Rip Aaron but you can’t top a guy she’s got mad chemistry with. Both are a lil silly for not going off at first but it also worked out so nicely for them to learn more about one another as people before diving into bed.

Their parents?!?!? What the heck!!!! That was definitely a jaw dropping twist I didn’t see coming. I was very skeptical of Cassie’s mom and being so nice suddenly. It was so sus and I admit I was hopeful that she had been to therapy or got sense knocked into her. I do wish we could’ve read about Cassie’s talk with her Dad, but that moment with Nia was so pure. I genuinely laughed at her reasoning for calling Cassie Cassandra all the time.

Gavin low key you’re dumb but 11 years later and you’re still making up for your dumb mistake. Good guys don’t cheat Fr fr. Gemma girl you were doing so good until you got selfish in that last bit. Truly broke my little heart reading that bc BFFR Tate and Cassie are IT for each other.

Miami boy meets a girl who summers in his beach hometown. Cute summer romance, perfect as a laid back beach, easy read.

This was going to be a 3 star read until that shocking twist!!!! The 3 stars wasn't because of any major problems with the storytelling. It was well told, cute, but it wasn't anything new that I hadn't read before. Until that plot twist!!!!! Yes!!!! That's the way to do it!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this sweet and lovely book.

After spending years away from Avalon Bay due to her parents' divorce, college student Cassie Soul returns to spend time with her family, celebrate her twenty-first birthday, and maybe even find a summer fling before her grandmother sells their boardwalk hotel. Cassie doesn't have to wait long to find a prospect: Tate Bartlett, the charming sailing instructor and local heartthrob.

I absolutely and completely loved every word in this book! Returning to Avalon Bay was like coming home! I loved seeing new sides to older characters and getting glimpses of their HEA and loves now!

Cassie and Tates meet cute really set the stage for this story and had me invested from the start! I loved Cassie’s sunshiny outlook and loved the strength Tate gave her to be a stronger version of herself! Tate is seriously amazing! The way he falls for Cassie and becomes her rock was breathtaking! That surprise towards the end though OMG ripped my heart out!

I hope this isn’t the last of Avalon Bay because I love this little beachside town and it’s hilarious residents!

Wow, this book pulled me in from the very first chapter! I love Cassie, her character was so relatable and easy to root for. I loved the family dynamics of both main characters and how they played out during the book. The ending was perfect. Without giving too much away I felt like it wrapped up in a way that gave everyone exactly what they deserved!

The Summer Girl is the perfect wrap up to the Avalon Bay series. This book shows a softer side to Avalon Bay’s crew as Cassie comes home for summer looking for a summer fling only to find herself caught up with the town’s beautiful golden boy. Both looking for a fun time with no expectations, they find friendship, trust and a lot more during their summer together. The banter between the characters is so engaging, as is their instant attraction. I could not put this book down, and I don’t think you will be able to either!

Ok. Back up to 4 stars for Elle Kennedy's Avalon Bay books. I was not sure if I would read this one when it came out, but I was ok with reading it for a NetGalley review. Mainly because it would push me to give the series another chance, because without this, I'm not sure I would have picked up the book and kept reading. I do not DNF books so starting is basically a commitment to finish no matter how much I like or dislike the book. So, I'm very happy to have gotten this opportunity because I truly enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed, and I truly liked both Tate and Cassie as well as Cassie's two best friends and grandmother. Her dad's family was pretty cool too as you got to know them, but they weren't the focus. I also appreciated that we got glimpses into the other previous couples in the series without, well, too much focus on them. I feel like they were around the edges just enough for someone who really liked their stories, but not so much that you were pulled out of the primary romance.

Tate had come across in the previous books as someone I didn't really want to read about, but he is written as such a fun character that it's hard not to get sucked in. Sure, there were some things that I thought were a bit far fetched, but all in all, I was happy that Tate and Cassie's romance was handled the way it was. There were no testosterone fuelled fights and really drunken blow ups. The conflict and how it was resolved was handled the way many couples would handle things and really without any misunderstandings on either side. It was just very real for me and appealed to my "please don't punch someone because that makes you a jerk even more than them" romance novel preference. Maybe things have changed, but in my late teens and early twenties, I had many male friends who got drunk, and fighting was never something that devolved out of that. So, the twins always getting into it with others seemed OTT. Tate, despite the potential for him to be just like his friends, seems just a bit more controlled and aware of himself which also translated to how his relationship with Cassie developed and how he handled the things that got in their way.

There were no real surprises, except maybe I didn't see quite what happened with Cassie's mom playing out the way it did. But overall, a fun quick read. Summer read potential for sure. Because, well, it's set in a beach town over summer break.

If you like Elle Kennedy, you'll like this one. And if, like me, you weren't a big fan of the previous book in this series, I am pretty sure you'll find this one redeems it.