RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥
Tate Bartlett has been on an unlucky streak when it comes to summer flings at Avalon Bay. In fact, he is being dumped right now in an ultimate "It's not you; it's me" way. His pride takes a further beating when he realizes his dumping was witnessed by someone else.
Cassie Soul did not mean to eavesdrop on the most awkward dumping. Taking a social break from a party, she was only sitting beachside before Tate and his F.W.B. (friend with benefits) had their awkward exchange. It turns out that Tate's misfortune could be this vacation's saving grace for her. They hang out and become friends. When Cassie offers herself up as Tate's new F.W.B., he is not quick to agree, fearing he could lose one of the coolest friends he has. The chemistry between them is not as platonic as he thought as he struggles to keep things in the friend zone between them.
This was an alright read for me. The starting pace held so much potential but was just too slow. Covering the history and baggage of our main characters took too much time in my opinion without any natural integration to the storyline. It was not until further into the read that I found some relatability to the characters.
I love me some angst, but I thought the plot points for tension did not align with the light, summer-whimsical tone this book introduced itself with.
This is the third book in the Avalon Bay series, but it can be read as a standalone.
** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Elle Kennedy, St. Martins Press, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **
ABOUT THE BOOK
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.
MEET ELLE KENNEDY
A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.
Elle writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
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