Book Review | Good Girl Complex – Elle Kennedy

Good Girl Complex
By: Elle Kennedy

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Trope(s): Opposites Attract
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars

Blurb:

Full of romance, hijinks, and longing, Good Girl Complex is Elle Kennedy at her very best.

She does everything right. So what could go wrong?

Mackenzie “Mac” Cabot is a people pleaser. Her demanding parents. Her prep school friends. Her long-time boyfriend. It’s exhausting, really, always following the rules. All she wants to do is focus on growing her internet business, but first she must get a college degree at her parents’ insistence. That means moving to the beachside town of Avalon Bay, a community made up of locals and the wealthy students of Garnet College.

Twenty-year-old Mac has had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested. Cooper is rough around the edges. Raw. Candid. A threat to her ordered existence. Their friendship soon becomes the realest thing in her life.

Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn’t just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home.

My Review

In My Own Words:

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy is the first book in the Avalon Bay Series. 

Cooper Hartley’s life hasn’t been easy, to say the least. He’s had to work hard to keep a roof over his head and food on the table, and even harder the moment his mom and dad exited his life’s picture. Now, it’s just him and his identical twin brother Evan. Life is what you make it, and he’s content with his close circle of friends, his brother, and his hobbies. That’s all he needs to be happy… Until a night at a bar involving a rich asshole ‘Preston’ getting handsy with one of his best friends ends up with Cooper losing his bartending gig… Now, the stakes are high, and revenge on the *clone* is a fingertips reach away. He only has to seduce Preston’s long time girlfriend into dumping him under her own pretense. How hard can that be…. Right?! Cooper’s about to realize the stakes are about to get even higher, when his heart gets involved.

Mackenzie Cabot is feeling like something is missing in her life. She’s lived her days with a script and a moral compass on what her parents deem is worthy mannerism. She’s to go to college, and then marry her long time boyfriend Preston. Her life is all mapped out, and Mac is finally coming to terms, this may not be the life for her. When she unexpectedly meets bad boy Cooper Hartley at a bar, that fire she smothered deep inside starts to grow out of control… She’s about to come to the realization, things aren’t always as clear as they seem.

My Thoughts:

Elle Kennedy has a way with words, and I’ve recently found myself becoming obsessed with her writing style and the passion she brings to her characters. So, I can’t say I was surprised to see I loved Cooper and Mackenzie’s story as much as I did. Let’s be honest here, I was expecting this outcome. I was expecting to fall in love with these characters, because it’s a normal thing for me when I read a novel from this author. I loved everything from the small town/locals feel to the opposites attract vibes. It definitely was a book I found myself not being able to put down for very long.

This novel screams Romeo and Juliet vibes!! AHH! I loved the opposites attract vibe but then realizing these two people from different sides of the wealth spectrum aren’t at all different than what we originally thought. They share so many similarities, it’s hard not to fall head over boots for them! I also loved the *townies* and *clones* approach. If you’re curious, a townie is a local and a clone is usually a wealthy person vacationing or going to the college in town. Townies and Clones don’t mix… or at least they didn’t mix well until now. I’m, usually, not a huge fan of the Romeo and Juliet type tropes. But it definitely worked for Cooper and Mac!! 

Mackenzie and Cooper’s story was something I didn’t know I needed in my reading until I finished the novel. This was a book my heart was searching for. I’m not even kidding when I say, this may just be my favorite Elle Kennedy book….. And given the fact that I’m still fairly new to her work, I’m excited for future books from her! Mackenzie (Mac) Cabot is a force to be reckoned with! Throughout this novel, I loved watching her grow into the woman she wants to be and leave the woman she was forced to be behind in a cloud of dust. This woman has dreams and goals that don’t revolve around her parent’s own greedy and selfish achievements. She has a fire burning bright inside of her, and to see that fire finally burn out of control was the best moment I’ve witnessed  in a long time.

Now let’s talk about Mr. Cooper Hartley. This man is rough, sexy, cool on the outside but beneath the surface this man has his own insecurities forcing his way through. I loved the fact that he vowed to never get involved with a *townie* and then Miss. Mackenzie Cabot walks in on the scene. This man never stood a chance! And I loved every single moment they unknowingly chipped away at each other’s walls built up around their hearts.

I loved how each was exactly what the other needed in their life. Mac seemed to keep Cooper grounded while Cooper kept Mac humble. I always say, Fate is a fickle b*tch, and this novel proves that point. 

Now onto the reasoning behind why I dropped a full star rating. I felt Cooper and Mac’s story was a tad bit rushed towards the end. I wasn’t ready to see this novel end, and I wanted a little bit more from them and their happily ever after. I get this is a series and we’ll most definitely get glimpses of them in the future novels, but I wanted more with this novel! I feel a little bit selfish with this couple. I also wanted that moment of clarity when it came to her parents realizing how wrong they were treating their daughter. I wanted a moment between the parents meeting Cooper and vice versa… I now understand why that didn’t happen, because let’s face it, in the real world I can assume posh parents wouldn’t put up with their daughter dating a man like Cooper….. UGH… Why am I so mad at her parents…. This novel is fictional!! But there you have it. 

I’m going to end this rambling review with this recommendation. If you love New Adult Contemporary romances with a small town feel and an opposites attract vibe, I can safely say you’ll love this one!

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Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sWKN82
Amazon World: http://getbook.at/GoodGirlComplexek

Peace Love and Happy Reading,

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