Reviews

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy

Only show reviews with written explanations

agusmariano's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

marmalade_and_books's review

Go to review page

funny lighthearted relaxing tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Abbey is determined to understand who she is outside of her father’s shadow. Her coming-of-age journey in London is full of laughter, heartbreak, intrigue, and spice. I’m truly envious!
This was an enjoyable read. It had the perfect amount of tension between characters to keep me engaged but not anxious for the fates of anyone in particular; and the level of spice was great!
The author did well with weaving all of the plot lines together and reconciling the characters in conflict.
Loved it!

lynguy1's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

3.25

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy is a contemporary new adult romance. Nineteen-year-old Abbey Bly applies for and gets the opportunity to study abroad for a year at Pembridge University in London. She loves her retired rockstar father, but he is overprotective. She’s ready to be free to achieve some of her own experiences versus hearing of her father’s exploits. She’s looking forward to meeting the girls she will be rooming with and making new friends. However, arriving late at night, she finds it's three boys, not girls, that will be her roommates. There’s only one house rule. No fraternizing between housemates.

Abbey doesn’t tell her father that her roommates aren’t girls. Abbey has been sheltered due to her father’s guilt and regret regarding his early life. Then, she falls for two different guys and one of them is a roommate. Additionally, she has a significant research paper for a class that leads her to a scandalous nobility family. She’s curious, inquisitive, adores libraries, and is funny and unpretentious, and is majoring in European history.
A lot of the book is focused on romance and which guy Abbey will choose. To me, this part was cute, but too predictable. However, the sections that I enjoyed the most were the ones regarding her research paper. At an estate sale, she finds a painting of a young woman who is unnamed and centers her research around this woman. This not only requires significant time at the library, but provides her with adventures and exposure to several different types of individuals. Themes include trust, lies, fear of obscurity, communication, being candid with others, friendship, independence, protectiveness, betrayal, romance, and much more.

Overall, this is a cute, bur predictable romance with some humor. However, it is more than that. Abbey’s research efforts and the mystery to be solved, as well as the people she meets and the friends she makes along the way, are the most interesting parts of the novel. This could have been the focal point with a romance as a subplot, instead of the other way around.

I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date was February 13, 2024.

Content Warnings

livgomersall's review

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

kimberlywyatt5's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious reflective slow-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? Yes

4.0

The beginning of this book had me hooked and swept me off my feet. It had me wanting to have my own year long adventure over the pond with a house full of British men. However, by the time I got to the middle, I had sort of lost interest. There were too many parallels being drawn being her real life and her research. I was surprised by the ending though but it is what I wanted to happen. It was a good read but she got on my nerves in the end, so I have to give it 4 stars.