Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy

ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a honest review 

Book Blurb:

When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s prepared to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Their history is rife with turbulence. And passion. A heck of a lot of passion… which she’s trying desperately to forget. But it’s impossible not to run into Evan in the small coastal town where they once ran wild. And the moment she sees her gorgeous ex again, it’s clear to Gen that Evan is still as unruly, sexy, and irresistible as ever. This time around, however, she’s resolved to walk a new path. No more partying. No more foolish mistakes. Her plan is to temporarily remain in town to help her father run his business, but the second he finds somebody else, she’s out of there. Evan has other ideas. He knows they can be good together, but he just has to convince Genevieve of that, even if it means turning over a new leaf himself. But can a bad reputation ever truly be shed? Do second chances really work? Genevieve and Evan are about to find out.

My Review: 3.5 stars

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Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy is the second installment within the Avalon Bay series. Although you don’t need to read Good Girl Complex beforehand, as the series contains interconnected standalones, I encourage it to get a better sense of some of the minor characters and the community of Avalon Bay.

In this second-chance, small town summer romance, we follow Cooper’s twin, Evan, and his ex-girlfriend, Genevieve. Gen is back in town after a year away and desperate to avoid her on-again-off-again ex-boyfriend. On a transformative path to better herself, falling back into Evan means falling back into her “bad girl” ways. But Gen seems to be the one thing Evan can’t–and won’t–quit. He doesn’t know why Gen left a year ago, only that it broke his heart. Now he’s determined to find out what happened and to make sure she doesn’t leave town–and him–again. 

Typical to most Elle Kennedy books, the angst and tension between the two was off-the-page and the banter had me constantly smiling. Despite enjoying the push and pull between the two of them, at times I felt their actions were juvenile and straight-up toxic. The drama was almost too much and became a little repetitive.

The character development was flawed in the sense that there was potential that I felt wasn’t met. The constant drama seemed to upend any strides forward and I wasn’t fully convinced this book would end in a happily-ever-after (don’t worry–it does). In the end, the characters are able to figure out who they need to be, for themselves and their partner, and find their way back to one another. 

This was a quick, easy read that while sometimes frustrating, it was overall an enjoyable read. A few potential couples were introduced in this book and with the door open for more books in the series. I’m excited to see what Kennedy does next! 

Quotes I liked:

It’d be a shame if you let growing up dull your edges.”