Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy
ARC from Netgalley and St. Martinโs Griffin for a honest reviewย
Book Blurb:
When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her motherโs funeral, sheโs 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 sheโs trying desperately to forget. But itโs 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, itโs clear to Gen that Evan is still as unruly, sexy, and irresistible as ever. This time around, however, sheโs 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, sheโs 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
Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy is the second installment within the Avalon Bay series. Although you donโt 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 Cooperโs 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 โbad girlโ ways. But Gen seems to be the one thing Evan canโtโand wonโtโquit. He doesnโt know why Gen left a year ago, only that it broke his heart. Now heโs determined to find out what happened and to make sure she doesnโt leave townโand himโagain.ย
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 wasnโt met. The constant drama seemed to upend any strides forward and I wasnโt fully convinced this book would end in a happily-ever-after (donโt worryโit 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.ย
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. Iโm excited to see what Kennedy does next!ย
Quotes I liked:
Itโd be a shame if you let growing up dull your edges.โ
The book blurb here is from a different book.
Damn, seems like I’m forgetting more than September!! Thanks for letting me know!