This review is for Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy, which releases in the UK on 13th February! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is not the first book I’ve read by Elle Kennedy, as we all know I’m obsessed with her writing and have read pretty much every book she has released so far. I was so excited to see her come into the new adult genre and see how much it differs from her usually raunchy writing.

I loved this book! I’m not usually a fan of love triangles but if anyone can make me like them, Elle Kennedy can. It did get frustrating though when Abbey, the female main character, kept pushing back in making a decision and putting both her and her two love interests out of their misery. I spent so much of the book torn between both of Abbey's love interests Nate and Jack, it was hard for me even to choose. I also had little to no clue who she would choose at the end, so it was such a build up!

I also really loved the story in this book, with Abbey looking to escape from her famous father’s shadow and make her own name for herself and have her own adventures. When she starts her own project to find who a mystery lady is in a picture she finds at an estate sale, I was instantly hooked and could not wait to find out what had happened to her. It also clearly showed the characters passion for history, which was refreshing to see. Abbey’s character growth throughout the whole story was great, I loved watching her find place with the flatmates and figure out what she wants from her own life.

I would definitely recommend this to any romance readers out there, who loves a good college/university romance. 🥰

✨ I love Elle Kennedy’s hockey romances and was so excited to receive an ARC for her new standalone. I already wasn’t this biggest fans of love triangles and I just found this one so frustrating

✨ I really wanted to like this book but it was so slow to get into and despite me always preferring the one boy , both the male characters just lacked any depth. I also didn’t like the situation regarding the one boy being in a relationship at first , it made me dislike abbey slightly.

✨ I enjoyed the mystery sub-plot in this and Lee was such a great side character but even in the last 20 pages she was still saying she didn’t know who she wanted to be with. It felt really rushed at the end and just wasn’t for me.

Girl Abroad was a cute story. One thing that annoyed me was the lack of research done by the author. The "British" boys were using vocabulary like Fall (Autumn), Liquor (Spirits), My Vanity (Desk) etc. and the book was full of American-isms. Like the main character saying she was going to "school". This makes sense for her to say because she actually is American. However, the British cast would not say this. It is a very basic ask from an author in my opinion.

This was a fun read overall! Being from London, I love reading about the city from an outsider’s perspective.

The tropes in this book were not my favourite and I did find that Abby kept going backwards and forwards with her morals - however I did enjoy how the storyline progressed.

Also, the side plot of trying to solve the mystery of the painting was really enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review! :)

When I tell you I screamed because I got to read this one earlier because I was absolutely obsessed with The Deal! This was also a highly anticipated release for me so I dove right in and devoured this in no time! Some spoilers lie ahead - beware!

So here are some thoughts. Although this was very different from Kennedy's usual hockey romance, I still really enjoyed this one! My main gripe was the love triangle in this book, while worked out rather well, is not really something I like to read. Setting aside how quick Abbey seemed to hook these guys left and right, I ended up rooting for her and her adventures on London! The mystery of the painting as a side story was also a really neat touch.

I won't spoil much more but if you like college romance, forced proximity, love triangles and potential new book boyfriends - this one is for you!

A New kind of romance from Elle Kennedy.

In this one the FMC Abbey was very sheltered and had so much nievity to her to be believed as her father was a rock star and she spent the first few years on the road with him

She just seemed too soft as a character and had very little backbone

However it was still a really good read and the mystery aspect of this kept me more entertained than the romance aspect of it as I don't think any of the male suitors were at all good for her in anyway and she needed more world experience than romace

In Girl Abroad, Abbey is heading to London for her Sophomore year of university. She shows up to her house share to find out that her three new roommates are not girls, as she previously assumed, but in fact, men. During her time in London, Abbey develops a crush on TWO men. Bachelor #1: her rugby playing housemate. Not-so-Bachelor #2: a bass guitarist with a girlfriend.

Okay here's the thing. I love Elle Kennedy books, which is why I was wanting to read this latest one; however, I hate the love triangle trope with a burning passion. I can honestly say, that while there were absolutely those times where I was yelling at Abbey through the screen of my e-reader to "JUST PICK ALREADY", the love triangle wasn't the only plot of this book. She's also set off on solving the mystery of a painting of an unknown woman as part of a school project and learning how to live as a independent woman, out from under her overprotective father's shadow.

The first 100 pages or so were a bit slow as they worked to set up the various plots and introduce us to the key characters, but once I made it past all that, I couldn't put it down. On the topic of key characters, Jamie is absolutely one of my new favorite side characters. His banter was just so fun. It was also incredibly entertaining to watch Abbey settle in more to her life in London. Throughout the story, you see her starting to pick up and use more British phrases and colloquialisms as she adapts to her new home.

Elle Kennedy is definitely an autobuy author for me so I was really excited to get the opportunity to read this book.

In Girl Abroad we follow Abbey as she embarks on a year abroad in London finially getting the chance to spread her wings outside of her rockstar fathers shaddow and discover who she wants to be in life.

I really enjoyed this coming of age story as Abbey meets her new flatmates and navigates life in London. The characters were fun and likeable and as always with Elle Kennedy a great friendship group was formed. I would happily read books for their HEA too.

I'm not typically a fan of love triangles but I did enjoy this one. There were points were I was a little bit annoyed a Abbey's indecision and although I had a favourite from the beginning I did enjoy the relationship she had with both love interests.

I thought the side plot of the historical mystery was a really nice addition to the story and gave Abbey's character more depth and purpose.

Overall this is a fun read which provides all the elements we have come to love and expect from Elle Kennedy books.

Abbey has an opportunity of her lifetime and begins to liver HER life whilst in London. A coming of age / journey of self discovery but for a 19/20 year old coming from America. Girl Abroad provides fun moments and plenty of moments for reminiscing to what it was like at that age, maybe not quite exactly as Abbey experiences it and certainly not with good looking men showing so much interest all at once.

Maybe for some there will feel like there’s a hard choice for Abbey but in my mind there was never any choice. Musician or Rugby player and one of those to me was her HEA from the start.
It shouldn’t be hard choice for any reader, it is worth picking up!
I received this book as an ARC and provided an honest review

Take Emily in Paris and make it British!

19 year old Abbey gets the opportunity to study abroad for a year in London. She wants to step out from her fathers shadow and get her own life experiences.
Her first test of the British is when she arrives to her new home to find her 3 roommates to be male! Who are all off limits!

When I received the email to say I'd been given the opportunity to review this book before it came out I was over the moon. All I've read this year is pretty much Elle Kennedy.

I'm not typically a person for a love triangle but when it's done right I can enjoy it. I was so happy with the result of the triangle, I felt these 2 where more natural together.

I loved the historical side plot to this book, it kept me hooked and I couldn't wait to see the outcome!

Girl Abroad - Elle Kennedy 💂🏻

⭐⭐⭐

Abbey the daughter of Rockstar Gunner Bly heads of to London for school much to her dad's disapproval. While living in London Abbey ends up in a love triangle with 2 hot and complicated boys. She also has the case of the mystery female painting where she is trying to decipher who the woman is and what her backstory is.

I enjoyed this book. I was really interested in the painting and all the mystery surrounding, I thought it was so well written and for me was the most interesting part.

The love triangle aspect was new to me and I was constantly torn between both love interests. I think in the future love triangle tropes may be of the table for me because I can't cope with the stress 😅

Would recommend this book to anyone looking for a romance with a it of historical mystery to it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for sending me this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own*

*ARC: Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy
Release date: 13/02/2024

🌟: 4/5

🌶: 2/5

Genre: contemporary romance

POV: single, first person

Tropes: rockstars daughter, forced proximity, roommates, forbidden romance, slow burn, love triangle

Review:
Abbey is the daughter of a rockstar living in Nashville and seeking some serious independence. So as a European History major, she applies for a year abroad in London.

I loved the concept of her trying to make her own memories instead of living in the shadow and memories of her rockstar Dad. I could definitely relate to her introvert lifestyle.

From the get go, I was intrigued by who her love interest will be. In comes the love triangle, bad boy bassist Nate or rugby playing roommate Jack?? Polar opposites, but both have insane chemistry. I honestly didn’t know which way it would go?? Which is surprising because you can usually tell with the love triangle trope who the final love is.

What I found quite refreshing in Abbey was her ability to know her boundaries with men, she knows her worth!!! A strong FMC, but with flaws, it felt super relatable. I was literally reading her growth as a woman, which was so beautiful!!!

But more than anything, the plot of the book had depth. It didn’t just feel like a typical love triangle. The project she undertook for her studies had some focus too, which added a bit of mystery and left me eagerly turning pages to find out the truth.

Little side note: The use of “Luv” to emphasise the British accent made me laugh. As a UK girlie, I do spell it “love” but it definitely sounds like “luv” when said aloud 😂

Thank you to Netgalley and Little. Brown Book Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Enjoyable, fast paced with British banter. Disclaimer to Americans: we English people are not all posh and rich so take the characters you meet as the exceptions. The long triangle becomes tedious by the end of the book because OF COURSE she was going to choose him so it was slightly frustrating as she kept circling between the two guys. Likeable side characters who remind me of my flatmates at uni but sadly an unlikable fmc once again.

3.5⭐️
This book has elements of romance, mystery and friendships . I loved every element of this book, my favourite was probably the mystery aspect and how it connected people together.

**Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK Piatkus for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

Actual rating: 3.5 ☆

I was so happy to be approved for this arc, because I was curious to see Elle Kennedy ventures into a different type of stories from what I've been used to by her, and GIRL ABROAD truly was unique. But it still had the same things I love about her writing: the focus on friendships and self growth, because GIRL ABROAD is not only about Abbey's journey to London, as the nineteen years old daughter of an ex rock star, no, it's also about her inner journey of learning to be her own self instead of being stuck in her father's shadow.

It's something that I appreciated about Abbey: even if she was sheltered most of her life, she knows what she wants and how to hold her ground. She was also good at communicating and putting boundaries with other when needed. It was refreshing. But that doesn't mean she didn't make mistakes like everyone else....And that's in part what I meant when I said that this book is unique: Abbey is stuck in a love triangle for most of the story. Personally, I don't mind love triangles, especially when they're done right, which here was clearly the case.

Honestly, it was audacious of Kennedy, I don't think I've ever seen a love triangle being explored that way. Abbey slowly falls for two guys and starts going out with both of them - as she's not exclusive with any of them - while wondering what's the right choice. She knows she can have a free sexuality but she doesn't want to hurt them or herself in the process, which was an interesting perspective. And having them on equal footing made me impossible to guess who she was ending up with.
That said, I really didn't care for the love triangle, yes both love interests were great on the surface but that's where it ended because they both lacked depth and personality, I couldn't connect to them. Moreover, the way it was resolved felt a bit rushed.

Thankfully, I was more invested in the rest of the plot! I never expected to read about an historical mystery. I found it entertaining. I loved that the mystery paralleled Abbey's own life and troubles, and how people around her were getting involved in it.

Last but not least: I loved the friendships Abbey built throughout the book, whether with her roommates or other people. The banter was as fun as in Kennedy's other books, but sadly those friendships were explored less in the second half which I missed. I wanted more of Lee, Celeste, Jamie and even Amelia.

Anyway, I can't wait for Elle Kennedy to write other books in that vein!

Elle Kennedy is an auto buy author for me. I have read almost all of her books so this was a no brainer.

Abby is in London on a college exchange. With an overprotective Dad who is worried about his baby girl leaving not only the states but living in one of the busiest cities in the world, London. She arrives at her flat hoping to meet her new female flatmates but discovers they're all handsome and attractive men, including a hot Australian called Jake. Abby finds herself falling in easily with her new flatmates and makes friends while she studies. Along the way she meets Nate. An aspiring musician. Now Abby is finding herself being attracted to both Nate and Jake while trying to uncover a mystery that surrounds her studies. All in a city she knows nothing about.

I adored this book. I love Elle Kennedy's writing and this book was just like her previous books. Well written with humorous and compelling characters. This was a delight to read and I devoured it. I found myself transported to London with Abby and enjoyed every second of it. Now, where do I find myself a super hot Aussie flatmate?

Thank you to Netgalley & Little Brown Book group for an early arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is about an American in London. It was already going to be a hard sell for me. But the main character of this book ended up being one of the worst people I've ever had the displeasure of reading about.

Screwing around with two boys at once, obsessively talking about her famous father despite claiming how much she hates the attention and being completely obsessed with herself, Abbey sucked.

I am not able to objectively critic anything else about this book because of how much I hated Abbey and everything she represented. I mean... living in Notting Hill? AT 19?? When you've just moved to the country? I seriously doubt Elle Kennedy has ever lived in London.

I'm so disappointed because I really enjoy Elle Kennedy's hockey novels.

Studying Abroad, Mix Up with Roommates, Love Triangle and a Scandal... What more could you want from a RomCom.

Girl Abroad is about Abby Bly, she is the daughter of a famous rock star and just wants to live her life. She wants to experience things, not to the extent that her dad has but what any young adult would. This is when she applies to study abroad. Her dad isn't too keen, but Abby is. This is honestly where the fun begins, she jest off across the US to the UK and rolls up at her accommodation for the next year, and to say she gets a shock is an understatement.

I am fairly new to Elle Kennedy, I have read her Off Campus Series and the Briar U series which I absolutely loved so thought this was going to be another firm favourite. I will go in and say this to me read more YA than it did adult like her other books. There is nothing wrong with that and once I realised this I enjoyed the book that much more. It had some great characters that I couldn't help but fall in love with, some laugh out loud moments - again one of my must haves in a RomCom.

There are some bookish tropes that aren't for everyone, but I felt that they were written well and it shows the growth of all the characters not just one. I like that we got to know all the characters as well, that they made part of the storyline that much more. There is a love triangle, there is friends to lovers, there is mention of drugs and alcohol. There is also a scene that might be triggering to some but the book is an enjoyable read.

Overall the book was what I needed, something quick, fun and some low level spice in some areas. It wasn't my favourite Elle Kennedy book but I think it is definitely worth a read.

Elle Kennedy is an auto-buy author for me. So when I was given the chance to read an ARC of her upcoming book in exchange for an honest review; I was thrilled!
Girl Abroad follows Abbey, an American living in London for a semester of university. Growing up under the rule of her strict - but - kind rockstar father, Abbey is dying for some independence. Her roommates - three handsome, caring men - are keen to help Abbey navigate her new city and life. Abbey soon finds herself falling in love - with London and two thrilling, sexy men.
I'm not always fond of love triangles, but this book did it well. I enjoyed all the characters - they were well developed, funny, and came to life on the page.
I did notice a few Americanisms slipping into the text - but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

Another great Elle Kennedy book! I loved the story and how you get to know all these different characters. Also how until the end I couldn't guess who she was going to end up with.