REVIEW: The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy

 

OUR REVIEW:

In this third Avalon Bay we get to know Tate and Cassie. The only thing I really remembered about Tate from the first two novels was that he was known as a player and seemed to be super friendly. In The Summer Girl, we get to see that while he does seem to be a player, he's not a jerk; he is really friendly and always up front about his not wanting a relationship so that no one gets hurt and it seems to have worked. So you can imagine Cassie's disappointment when she propositions him to be her summer fling--no strings--and he declines because he wants to be 'just friends', especially because he seems to be the perfect fling: he's hot, friendly, fun to be around, and doesn't do relationships. With no other choice but to accept his friends only offer, Cassie and Tate embark on a summer of friendly fun. 

These two are truly perfect together--they're both really good humans and seem to meld together well, which makes sense when you know that both of them are seriously attracted to the other, despite the friends only thing happening. The more time they spend together, the more you enjoy them both: Tate has such a wonderful relationship with his friends and family and everyone seems to adore him and Cassie has a crummy family life but a group of girls and a grandmother who all swoop in and fill in some of the empty spaces her parents have left. Poor Cassie has such a crummy situation and the more Tate learns, the more he wants to be there for her and help her find her voice and her happiness. I adore them both.

As alluded to in the synopsis something terrible and unexpected happens and it really shifts everything for everyone and it's heartbreaking and maddening and so frustrating...and there's really nothing Cassie or Tate can do but live with it and through it (I had a major case of the sads at this point). But Elle Kennedy doesn't do us dirty and gives Cassie and Tate the HEA that I really wanted for them and now I'm super excited for the next book in this series (there are some characters I'm super curious about!).

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SYNOPSIS:

Elle Kennedy's next spicy and emotional romance in the blockbuster Avalon Bay series.

College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston. Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that’s been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday…and maybe find herself a summer fling.

On her first night in town, she finds the perfect candidate: Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun-loving golden boy.

Tate, sailing instructor and lovable player, is no stranger to flings. In fact, he’s always down for a good time. But the moment he meets Cassie, he knows she’s not the girl you play games with. Cassie is gorgeous, hilarious, and, frankly, the coolest person he’s ever met. The last thing he wants to do is risk breaking her heart, and so he reluctantly puts her in the friend-zone…only to realize he made a huge mistake. Soon, his attraction to Cassie becomes impossible to ignore. He wants that fling now. Big-time.

And maybe even something more.

As Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, they’re about to discover that their situation is the least complicated part of this equation. Because Avalon Bay is full of secrets—and their relationship might not survive when those secrets come to light.