BOOK REVIEW: Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy (Avalon Bay #2)

Bad Girl Reputation (Avalon Bay #2)
by Elle Kennedy
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

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.

Bestselling author Elle Kennedy returns to Avalon Bay in this sexy second chance story about two exes who can't stay away from each other, Bad Girl Reputation.

“You look good, Gen.” He’s doing it again. The dare in his eyes, the implications in his gaze. “Time away agreed with you.

The little shit. It isn’t fair. I hate him, even as my fingers make contact with his chest and slide down the front of his shirt.

After the somewhat slow burn romance of Mac and Cooper from the first Avalon Bay book (Good Girl Complex), it was quite a change of pace to have immediate fireworks with Gen and Evan in the second book in the series, Bad Girl Reputation.

Gen has returned to town after disappearing and leaving a broken-hearted Evan. So when she returns to help with her family, Evan is elated and ready to pick up where they left off. However, Gen has turned over a new leaf and despite her lingering feelings, she’s not ready to fully commit to jumping back into life with Evan.

It’s suddenly occurs to me that I’ve spent so much time trying to convince myself I was for real, I missed when other people started to believe it.

When Evan isn’t busy trying to win Gen back, he’s learning how to run a business with Cooper and his uncle, as well as testing with waters with his mom (behind Cooper’s back before). Cooper and Mac make a handful of appearances and it was great catching up with them and seeing how things are progressing with the hotel renovation. And don’t worry, Daisy is still an important characters still too!

He and I have been through a lot with each other this past year. Finding one reason or another to be at odds. It’s exhausting, honestly. And lonely. Nights like this remind me that whatever else happens, it’s just the two of us.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but it didn’t quite reach the levels of Good Girl Complex. I really did love Gen. She was complicated, funny and so strong. I really wish the “love triangle” had been stronger – there really wasn’t any moment of doubt Gen wasn’t going to end up with Evan. I do like Evan, but I found his immaturity tough to deal with at times. The dinner-date was one of the biggest cringe moments I can remember reading in a long time. At least that was early on and he showed growth, but whew that was hard.

There’s a a few great additions to the Avalon Bay crew and I’m curious who steps up to be the leads in the next one. I love all these characters in Avalon Bay and will keep visiting back here.  

“Don’t do that,” he rasps in my ear.

“What?”

“Remember.”

 

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