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booksandcoffeewithlexi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity
momma_needs_to_read's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was definitely a change from Bad Girl Reputation for me. I thought this was a good book and a great audiobook too. The storyline was so fun and sweet. I loved Tate and Cassies' friendship/relationship. They very clearly had a strong connection and great chemistry. The way their relationship developed was written so well. I also really liked how all, but one, of the characters were in this. Cassie’s mom is a list of horrible words. But everyone else was great. I think Elle Kennedy did a great job writing the new and former characters from the other two books. It was nice having those little updates of their lives without focusing too much on them.
My heart broke for Cassie and her strained relationship with both her parents. I know what it’s like being a child of a divorce, especially when it’s bitter, but her experience was so difficult and emotional.
There was a huge plot twist that I in no way saw coming. All I’ll say is wow.
The narrators were amazing. At first I wasn’t sure, but once I got more into it, they really fit the characters well and they did a great job with voice changes for other characters and conveying the emotions. They really brought the characters to life and made me feel like I was hearing the story right from the characters themselves.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
My heart broke for Cassie and her strained relationship with both her parents. I know what it’s like being a child of a divorce, especially when it’s bitter, but her experience was so difficult and emotional.
There was a huge plot twist that I in no way saw coming. All I’ll say is wow.
The narrators were amazing. At first I wasn’t sure, but once I got more into it, they really fit the characters well and they did a great job with voice changes for other characters and conveying the emotions. They really brought the characters to life and made me feel like I was hearing the story right from the characters themselves.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion
tswanson103's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Tate and Cassie are everything you want from a summer romance. Loved every second of this edition to Avalon Bay.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion
chemistryreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
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🌶
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Panic attacks/disorders
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.25
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of The Summer Girl in exchange for my honest review!
As a fan of Elle Kennedy's romance novels, I was excited to dive into The Summer Girl, her third entry in the Avalon Bay series. The romance between Cassie and Tate started out charmingly enough, their chemistry and the breezy atmosphere making it all pretty fun. But then I noticed how the narration repeatedly refers to Cassie's apparently massive breasts, doing it in a way that almost made me feel like this aspect was the only significant thing about her character. It gets toned down as the book progresses, but it's still not something I cared for.
Another element that bugged me even more was the book's deployment of the virgin trope. Cassie is a virgin when she gets together with Tate, so there's a whole bunch of talk about how concerned they are (though the concern is more on her side) when it comes to her having sex. The thing is, Kennedy falls back on an incredibly outdated portrayal of virginity that claims you're a virgin until—well, how shall I word this here—the P enters the V. If you do anything else, the book seemingly doesn't consider those things as giving up your V-card. It was frustrating to read about, considering how much virginity persists to live in our world as a social construct, its prominent roots in purity culture, and the misogyny it helps to perpetuate. This whole aspect was enough for me to knock my rating down half a star.
I know I just spent a good chunk of this review criticizing the book's usage of the virgin trope, but I want to make it clear that I did like quite a bit about this book. It isn't just for the romance, either. I also appreciated its handling of the relationships that Cassie and Tate each have with their own parents. I can't really say that much more without dropping spoilers, but I'll just praise Kennedy for adding heart to the story by exploring some interesting nuances in those dynamics, especially in the third act.
Overall, I'm landing on a score of 3.25 out of 5 for The Summer Girl. If I were to recommend a Kennedy romance to a friend, I wouldn't necessarily rush to pick this one, but I'm still glad I got the chance to read an eARC of it. I'll definitely continue to pick up more of Kennedy's work.
As a fan of Elle Kennedy's romance novels, I was excited to dive into The Summer Girl, her third entry in the Avalon Bay series. The romance between Cassie and Tate started out charmingly enough, their chemistry and the breezy atmosphere making it all pretty fun. But then I noticed how the narration repeatedly refers to Cassie's apparently massive breasts, doing it in a way that almost made me feel like this aspect was the only significant thing about her character. It gets toned down as the book progresses, but it's still not something I cared for.
Another element that bugged me even more was the book's deployment of the virgin trope. Cassie is a virgin when she gets together with Tate, so there's a whole bunch of talk about how concerned they are (though the concern is more on her side) when it comes to her having sex. The thing is, Kennedy falls back on an incredibly outdated portrayal of virginity that claims you're a virgin until—well, how shall I word this here—the P enters the V. If you do anything else, the book seemingly doesn't consider those things as giving up your V-card. It was frustrating to read about, considering how much virginity persists to live in our world as a social construct, its prominent roots in purity culture, and the misogyny it helps to perpetuate. This whole aspect was enough for me to knock my rating down half a star.
I know I just spent a good chunk of this review criticizing the book's usage of the virgin trope, but I want to make it clear that I did like quite a bit about this book. It isn't just for the romance, either. I also appreciated its handling of the relationships that Cassie and Tate each have with their own parents. I can't really say that much more without dropping spoilers, but I'll just praise Kennedy for adding heart to the story by exploring some interesting nuances in those dynamics, especially in the third act.
Overall, I'm landing on a score of 3.25 out of 5 for The Summer Girl. If I were to recommend a Kennedy romance to a friend, I wouldn't necessarily rush to pick this one, but I'm still glad I got the chance to read an eARC of it. I'll definitely continue to pick up more of Kennedy's work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion and Alcohol
haleyzajac's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
2.5 ⭐️ This was a pretty standard young twenties, summer at the beach, romance book. I didn’t feel like it blew me away, but it also wasn’t bad. I really disliked the relationship between Cassie and her mom. Which was sort of the point I guess, but it still seemed way over the top. The body shaming was ridiculous, especially considering it’s mentioned how tiny she is on numerous occasions. All the family stuff in this book was heavy. I definitely think you need a bit of drama or conflict to make a book great. This book took that expectation and overkilled it. Body shaming, emotional and verbal abuse by a parent, cheating, divorce, discussion of miscarriage, etc. It was just trying to do too much. I would have liked to see more of those giddy moments in a new relationship as you’re starting to discover each other. I think it would have helped balance the book out a bit. Would I recommend this summer read to a friend? Probably not. There are too many other great summer romance reads out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Panic attacks/disorders