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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Summer Girl was an enjoyable addition to this series. After being introduced to Tate in the two previous novels, it was great getting to know him better. Cassie and Tate were funny and adorable together. Their chemistry was wonderfully natural. I'm a sucker for a friends to lovers, and this book did the trope justice. Unfortunately, the last third of the book separates the reader from the main couple for extended filler describing random beach games and lots of OTT drama with their parents. All that ultimately makes the conflict between the couple sort of understandable. It felt like they parted and reunited very quickly without much emotion.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
In an effort to clear my bookshelf of my physical copies as I counted at the start of the year and I had 412 books sitting there unread. It has been interesting though as to be completely honest, most of the physical books I have tried to read, they have been just so damn boring and blah and end up going straight into my "to donate" pile. However, I knew that I would enjoy Elle Kennedy's book as she is an author whose every title I have loved and she is just easy to read. The other great thing was that even though was Book #3 of the Avalon Bay series, it could easily be read as a standalone and you don't need to have read the other two in order to get the gist of the story as I haven't yet and I still managed to enjoy and understand this book just fine. Cassie Soul is back in Avalon Bay for the Summer and staying with her grandmother who has just sold her business, the hotel that has been in her family for generations as none of her children wanted to inherit it especially not Cassie's mother who is a narcisstic who just causes drama galore. I do have to admit, I found similarities to her character in a family member who I have is very much the same. In this book, Cassie is looking a summer fling and finds it in Tate but of course as Summer comes to end - will the couple be able to say goodbye to each other or will they realise that this romance that they had is more than a summer love and that they would both travel to the bottom of the world for each other - in this book "the bottom of the world happens to be New Zealand" which as someone born and bred in New Zealand - and still here , I absolutely loved and smiled about. I am now excited to continue on the clearing of Elle Kennedy's numerous titles on my physical bookshelf.
fast-paced
Thank you Netgalley for the arc :)
I have so many thoughts about this book.
For starters, I love Avalon Bay. I have loved every book in this series. I have loved these characters, these relationships, these friends. I have seen them mature and grow into themselves throughout the pages. I have stayed in touch through glimpses of how well they're doing in someone else's story line. I love these people. They're amazingly well written. They have depth and they have struggles and challenges that I read them overcome.
This book is no different from the other two in the series. There's one thing that has bothered me, and that is that I wish everyone was slightly older. I am not sure why, but their actions always made me feel like they were too young to be so mature. I felt like these characters especially were at least 27 years old. I felt like many of their feelings are what I felt as I slowly approached 30, freaking out because I thought I had to suddenly be a true adult and not an imposter adult pretending to pay my bills on time and that I liked kale over dino nuggets. One more thing that bothered me is that Cassie often speaks grammatically incorrect. She's an English major, if she were any other major I truly would not care. It would actually make sense for her character to be even more careful with her grammar. The way she speaks though, it's wrong. She makes mistakes often, the most blatantly obvious is when she says things like, "me and mom" instead of "mom and I". It's a small thing, but I feel like her character wouldn't make that mistake, not when she's so adamant about getting perfect grades and impressing her mother.
Now, please, allow me to go on endlessly about how much I love this book.
Tate and Cassie? Incredible banter. I physically laughed throughout this book. Any time they were going back and forth, I would laugh and have a really amazing time. I even cried towards the end when we see Cassie finally stick up for herself. Tate and Cassie are truly wonderful characters and I cannot wait to catch a snippet of them in the next Avalon Bay book (there is going to be another one, right Elle? You owe me since I did cry thinking you were going to make this a painful read). There was one part of the book where I highlighted and wrote a note saying something along the lines of, "JEEZ ELLE!! TWIST THE KNIFE A LITTLE HARDER WHY DON'T YOU?!!" because it hurt so much to see things falling a part for our two lovers.
The relationships we see in this book were harder to read for me. I think because the relationship Cassie has with her mother is too realistic as I also have a. similar relationship with my mother. Every encounter in the beginning, I was cringing from second hand embarrassment. I knew exactly why Cassie acted the way she acted, it was self preservation, something I have done my entire life with my mother. And how it all escalates throughout the book, it was just tough to read. And then I cried at her last interaction with her mother. It was like Cassie was standing up for every girl who has a not-so-kind mother who unabashedly talks down to her own daughter. I'm not ashamed to admit, I had to stop reading and grab tissues.
I loved this book. It is a feel good summer romance and that is exactly what I want in my life right now. Low stakes, little conflict, everything I want in a summer read. This is the perfect book so go tan with at the beach. Please please please, I beg you, read this book. You're going to fall in love with these characters. (Also, Elle Kennedy? Hi, it's me, I'm obsessed with you. Please write another book in this series. I'm literally begging you. I'll send you a pic with me on my knees begging if it gets you writing)
I have so many thoughts about this book.
For starters, I love Avalon Bay. I have loved every book in this series. I have loved these characters, these relationships, these friends. I have seen them mature and grow into themselves throughout the pages. I have stayed in touch through glimpses of how well they're doing in someone else's story line. I love these people. They're amazingly well written. They have depth and they have struggles and challenges that I read them overcome.
This book is no different from the other two in the series. There's one thing that has bothered me, and that is that I wish everyone was slightly older. I am not sure why, but their actions always made me feel like they were too young to be so mature. I felt like these characters especially were at least 27 years old. I felt like many of their feelings are what I felt as I slowly approached 30, freaking out because I thought I had to suddenly be a true adult and not an imposter adult pretending to pay my bills on time and that I liked kale over dino nuggets. One more thing that bothered me is that Cassie often speaks grammatically incorrect. She's an English major, if she were any other major I truly would not care. It would actually make sense for her character to be even more careful with her grammar. The way she speaks though, it's wrong. She makes mistakes often, the most blatantly obvious is when she says things like, "me and mom" instead of "mom and I". It's a small thing, but I feel like her character wouldn't make that mistake, not when she's so adamant about getting perfect grades and impressing her mother.
Now, please, allow me to go on endlessly about how much I love this book.
Tate and Cassie? Incredible banter. I physically laughed throughout this book. Any time they were going back and forth, I would laugh and have a really amazing time. I even cried towards the end when we see Cassie finally stick up for herself. Tate and Cassie are truly wonderful characters and I cannot wait to catch a snippet of them in the next Avalon Bay book (there is going to be another one, right Elle? You owe me since I did cry thinking you were going to make this a painful read). There was one part of the book where I highlighted and wrote a note saying something along the lines of, "JEEZ ELLE!! TWIST THE KNIFE A LITTLE HARDER WHY DON'T YOU?!!" because it hurt so much to see things falling a part for our two lovers.
The relationships we see in this book were harder to read for me. I think because the relationship Cassie has with her mother is too realistic as I also have a. similar relationship with my mother. Every encounter in the beginning, I was cringing from second hand embarrassment. I knew exactly why Cassie acted the way she acted, it was self preservation, something I have done my entire life with my mother. And how it all escalates throughout the book, it was just tough to read. And then I cried at her last interaction with her mother. It was like Cassie was standing up for every girl who has a not-so-kind mother who unabashedly talks down to her own daughter. I'm not ashamed to admit, I had to stop reading and grab tissues.
I loved this book. It is a feel good summer romance and that is exactly what I want in my life right now. Low stakes, little conflict, everything I want in a summer read. This is the perfect book so go tan with at the beach. Please please please, I beg you, read this book. You're going to fall in love with these characters. (Also, Elle Kennedy? Hi, it's me, I'm obsessed with you. Please write another book in this series. I'm literally begging you. I'll send you a pic with me on my knees begging if it gets you writing)
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My first book by this author and it was really good. I know it is part of a series but somehow I started with the third book haha. The drama was a good amount. The characters were well written for the ages they are. Can't wait to see what else this author has.
I actually enjoyed this book way more than the other two. I loved it