4.25 stars

Elle Kennedy's 'Avalon Bay' series gets better with each and every book. The Summer Girl is by far my favorite in the series. I adored Tate and Cassie.

Cassie is visiting the bay for the summer and staying with her grandmother. She grew up here, but once her parents got divorced she moved north. Around the time Cassie left, Tate's family arrived. Tate teaches sailing lessons and helps run his family's business. He's a bit of a playboy, but also a sweet and sunshiny character.

I loved Cassie and Tate's first meeting, then finding out they were neighbors for the summer. This was a fantastic friends to lovers romance. The family drama was a bit wild, but I loved this story and the couples romance. Also, the narration was fantastic. Highly recommend the audiobook.

When you take a talented writer like Elle Kennedy and combine it with a talented narration in Teddy Hamilton and Caitlin Elizabeth, you know the book is instantly going to be a winner.

I found myself gravitating toward Tate as much as Cassie did, dreaming of warm summer evenings on the beach, and the feelings of nostalgic young love that The Summer Girl weaved throughout its story.

This super fun summer read became the perfect vacation listen! Grab this the next time you are looking for a beach or pool read. The two kain characters are so likable that I actually wish the setting had them a bit older so I could hope for a realistic series about their storyline!

#netgalley #arc #thesummergirl

Cassandra stays at Avalon Bay with her grandmother for the summer. Cassie is looking for a summer fling when she meets Tate. They’re not hitting it off, so he becomes her wingman for the summer. Of course it can’t end there 🙃

This is the third in a series by Elle Kennedy, and I didn’t read the first two. You won’t be lost reading this if you didn’t read the others. I liked all the characters and multiple POV.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Net Galley for this ARC! Pub date 7/18/23

This is my third Elle Kennedy book and probably my favorite! It’s a strangers to friends to lovers trope and I truly loved the dual POV chapters (especially on audio! The narrators did an incredible job).

Cassie is looking for a summer fling full of passion and no commitments and when she and Tate kiss sparks fly. But Tate doesn’t believe that no strings work and decides he should just be Cassie’s wingman.

But as they both help each other break out of their shells and have better communication around what they want in life, they can’t help but just see where this thing goes.

Tate was such a great book boyfriend and I loved how he got Cassie to be more assertive. He’s a self reformed eff boy and we love to see it. And Cassie is strong and such a good caregiver. She loves hard and watching g her out herself first was so refreshing!

I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend audio too!

This is my first Elle Kennedy read, and I think she may just not be for me. I was expecting a cute, fun summer romance, but The Summer Girl ended up disappointing me. Had it not been for the fact that I was listening to an audiobook, I would've DNFed it.

The Summer Girl is a friends-to-lovers story set in a small beach town, Avalon Bay. College student Cassie is inexperienced when it comes to dating and is determined to have a fun, casual summer fling during her summer trip to the beach town she lived in when she was little, where her grandmother, dad, step-mom, and two half-sisters still live. When Cassie was ten, she moved to Boston with her narcissistic mother. Upon her arrival in Avalon Bay, Cassie meets Tate, a player who takes to her immediately. They flirt and kiss, but when Cassie wants more, Tate shuts her down because he doesn't think women can handle casual flings. They resolve to become friends, but something still hangs between them.

It's told in dual-pov, but Tate's side was not only unnecessary but unbearable. I dreaded the chapters where I was in his head. There was no point in him having a POV. He had no story. The vast majority of his chapters were spent on him thinking raunchy thoughts about women. The only somewhat relevant part of him having a POV had to do with his family, but even at that, his POV wasn't necessary.

Speaking of raunchy, there is a massive difference between spicey and raunchy. Spice is fine, but this book definitely fell into the latter category. It was so hard to get through. The writing and dialogue in this aspect, in particular, were cringey.

The Summer Girl is also steeped in misogyny and myths. It's not just that Tate is a sexist pig, but it's that Kennedy doesn't seem to understand how a woman's body works. For instance, Tate equates Cassie's virginity with her being tight, despite the fact that sex doesn't actually make women "loose." Another example is Cassie's physique. She's very petite with enormous breasts that magically cause her small frame no pain at all. If someone told me that "Elle Kennedy" is a pseudonym for a male writer, I'd believe them. How does a woman not know these things? And these are just a few examples--the book is full of it.

I also could've done without the casual biphobia. There's a line that's something about how bisexual people are twice the sluts. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, but a souring one nonetheless.

Lastly, I wanted to like the storyline between Cassie and her mom, a narcissist, but couldn't. I have a parent who's been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, and I found this aspect of the book to be the most disappointing. It's flat, cliche, and based on lazy stereotypes. There's no depth or nuance. Cassie's mom is merely a one-dimensional villain who emotionally abuses and body shames Cassie under the guise of a mental health disorder. There is so much that an author responsibly handling a character having a narcissistic parent could have explored, but Kennedy didn't. I really wish authors who want to write about mental illness would hire sensitivity readers. Also, Tate had a few narcissistic traits himself, and yet it went completely ignored that Cassie was subconsciously dating someone exhibiting those traits.

Thank you to NetGalley St. Martin's Griffen for giving me an early copy. All thoughts are my own.

Another hit from Elle Kennedy. This was an awesome story with no miss communication while still being a friends with benefits story. THE WINDOW SCENE was everything. It is going to be a new scene that everyone compares other spicy scenes too. The ending ripped my heart out a bit but I loved seeing the FMC grow and stand up for her self as the story went on.

The Summer Girl is a sweet summer romance with a decent amount of steam thrown in. Cassie is looking for a summer fling to lose her virginity to. Tate is the good guy that never dates. What starts out as a friendship grows into a situationship... but will it grow into more??

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read that kept me entertained and had a good amount of emotion with some humorous parts mixed in. Cassie and Tate definitely had chemistry. Them being friends first meant that you were able to feel their relationship and feelings grow. If you're looking for a fun, easy beach read, this is your book!

As for the audiobook portion: It's narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth & Teddy Hamilton. I thought both narrators did a great job. Teddy is one of my favorite male narrators so I always love everything that he does. Caitlin did a good job portraying Cassie. I thought she was able to add a good amount of emotion into her narration and she sounded as I would expect the main character to sound.

Elle Kennedy just does not disappoint! Cassie is The Summer Girl; Tate being the local boy all set in Avalon Bay. Cassie is very down-to-earth even though she has a very wealthy grandmother. Raised well, but wanting some fun over the summer, she encounters Tate. Tate is a local beach boy, loving sailing and looking for a love like the one his parents have. The chemistry of off the charts with Cassie even saying “Chemistry…that’s all you need.” Obviously, this is referring to the romantic chemistry! Although quick and slightly over the top at times, the romance and storyline is wonderful. There is really strong character development and I love the journey Cassie has. Past characters are well engrained into the story (but not necessary for understanding this story). This book brings me to the ocean and is a perfect summer read! The audiobook is well done and it was a pleasure to hear (but maybe make sure you listen in private). 4.5⭐️, 3.5🌶

The Summer Girl (An Avalon Bay Novel) by Elle Kennedy
(Book and Audiobook Review)
Narrated by Caitlin Elizabeth; Teddy Hamilton
Pub Date: 18 Jul 2023
ST. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio
Romance
Rating: 4.5/5

The Summer Girl is book three in the Avalon Bay Series. My e-book reading was accompanied by an audiobook. It was a great experience as both the e-book and audiobook versions kept me glued to the story. Elle Kennedy's writing is captivating and engaging. I couldn't put it down and found it immensely satisfying. Caitlin Elizabeth and Teddy Hamilton's narratives in the audiobook version truly brought the characters and stories to life, making me feel like I was experiencing the story firsthand.

Synopsis
Tate, a handsome man with a reputation, meets Cassie when she stays with her Grandma in Avalon Bay for the summer. Cassie is looking for fun and Tate is charming and mysterious. Tate becomes Cassie's summer neighbor, and she's determined to romance him without any strings attached. As Cassie and Tate spend time together, they quickly discover that their feelings for each other could become something more than just a summer fling. Tate struggles with his fear that a summer romance will ultimately hurt her. Cassie must face the reality that the attraction between them may be more than she bargained for. As they grow closer, the couple must confront an enormous secret that could tear them apart. As the stakes rise, they must make a difficult decision - whether to trust in their feelings, or let it all go without knowing what might have been.

While The Summer Girl is full of humor, it also deals with some heartbreaking topics. The characters deal with grief and trauma, showing the full range of human emotions. The plot balances out these heavy emotions with moments of joy, emphasizing the importance of resilience and hope. Although I have not read the first two books in the series, The Summer Girl works well as a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this heartwarming novel. Anyone who enjoys a compelling story and quality narration will enjoy this book/audiobook.

#TheSummerGirl #ElleKennedy

DNF
I could not stand the narrator and the story felt incredibly immature for being an adult romance novel, Disappointing ;/

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🎧Song Pairing: Summer Girl - Leighton Meester from the classic film Country Strong 😂

💭What I thought would happen:

Loved Good Girl Complex & Bad Girl Reputation, knew I had to carry on with the cool people of Avalon Bay

📖What actually happens:

Cassie has returned to Avalon Bay for another summer of sun and fun. Staying with her wealthy, dramatic grandmother and avoiding her mother as best as possible. First night at a townie party she lays her eyes on Tate, the most beautiful man she’s ever seen and may be the perfect guy for a summer fling.

🗯Thoughts:

I think this is my favourite of the series so far! I think I need to read more from this author as this is the only series I have gobbled up so far! If you have suggestions let me know!

The perfect summer book. When reading I felt the sun on the face and could smell the saltiness of the ocean instead of the actual smell of forest fire that is consuming my neck of the woods…

I loved the conflict with Cassandra and her parents, more so her mother and then the complicated relationship with her father and his new family. But most of all I ADORED Cassie’s grandmother. I want a sassy southern nana cloaked in Hermes.

Pick this one up! Pick up the whole series. You won’t be disappointed!

Thank you @macmillan.audio @smpromance @netgalley for a copy of this summer read. I have enjoyed this series and this story focuses on Cassie, who is visiting her grandmother that will be moving away from Avalon Bay. Cassie meets Tate on several encounters and their connection is undeniable. I love seeing Cassie and her relationship with her grandmother and her search for a summer fling. Tate is such a sweet heart and how he embraced Cassie into his circle of friends. The surprise really shocked me and added such an interesting element in the story. A perfect summer read.

I enjoyed the dual POV and narration which brought the story to life.

This was so cute. I continue to enjoy this series, and Elle Kennedy is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. There a few scenes in this one that will stick with me. I felt so much empathy for almost every single character at the very end.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Elle Kennedy's publishers for this advanced reader's copy for an honest review.

Read if you like:
🔥 Spice
💋 Friends to Lovers
😘 Hookup to More
🏖️ Beachy Vibes
2️⃣ Dual POV
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Messy Family Dynamics

I thoroughly enjoyed my return to Avalon Bay and if there are more stories for this series I will definitely be reading them as well as trying to catch up on Elle Kenndy’s backlog soon!

I love the rich and pretentious mixed with the locals vibes that we get in this series were we have working class and extreme wealth side by side and seeing how those sides either come together or butt heads.

I really enjoyed Cassie and Tate’s romance and loved how they were friends first and he was helping her find a summer hookup after he had friendzoned her to them coming together and finding that hooking up with your friends can be fun. 😉

Overall, another enjoyable beachy summer romance from Elle Kennedy that I recommend if you have enjoyed the rest of the Avalon Bay Series so far.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my ALC! I highly recommend the audio as Teddy Hamilton knocked it out of the park again with his sexy narration!

Really excited about this book. It was an Absolutely phenomenal read. High will recommend to others to pick up as soon as it is released.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I have mixed feelings about the book. I thought the storyline and plot were decent and it did keep me reading, BUT and a big but, I felt like much of the conversations were cringy! The author did not need to be so vulgar with her descriptions. There are books where I think it works, but this one was so light, that when those conversations were thrown in, it felt gross. I also did not like all of the body shaming throughout the story. I can't even count how many times they talked about Cass's large boobs. If certain parts of this book were re-worded or omitted, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

Thank you NetGalley!
3.5 ⭐️

After reading and loving the first 2 in the series I felt like this book just wasn’t there. It was enjoyable as a quick beach read though.

It read too much like a YA for me, there was a lot of focus on losing virginity which put me off a little.

The spice, once it got to it, was decent enough.

I was confused why they chose the character they did as the protagonist but it made for an ok stand alone. I just wish there was more focus on the family drama or drama in general like first 2 books had.

really enjoyed Good Girl Complex and Bad Girl Reputation so I think I just expected this book to be a bit more like those two books, but this book came across more like a standalone book.

I thought Cassie and Tate had such great chemistry, which is why I live friends to lovers trips but Cassie’s came across a bit young where as I enjoyed Tate as a character. The difference could be in that he is working class and she has money so his family interactions and working for what he has is a bit more relatable.

I loved reading this as an audio. I always enjoy Teddy Hamilton, he does a great job voicing the characters and making it an easy smooth read.

Things about this book:
Beach read
Tourist town
Open door romance
Virgin heroine
Friend to lovers
Summer fling really enjoyed Good Girl Complex and Bad Girl Reputation so I think I just expected this book to be a bit more like those two books, but this book came across more like a standalone book.

I thought Cassie and Tate had such great chemistry, which is why I live friends to lovers trips but Cassie’s came across a bit young where as I enjoyed Tate as a character. The difference could be in that he is working class and she has money so his family interactions and working for what he has is a bit more relatable.

I loved reading this as an audio. I always enjoy Teddy Hamilton, he does a great job voicing the characters and making it an easy smooth read.

Things about this book:
Beach read
Tourist town
Open door romance
Virgin heroine
Friend to lovers
Summer fling

Really enjoyed listening to this book! Elle Kennedy never disappoints! I was lucky enough to also get an eArc of this book and ugh I loved it so much! Perfect summer vibes! The narrators did such a great job bringing the characters to life!

Thank you Netgalley, Elle Kennedy, and St Martins press for the audio arc!