R E V I E W

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy

Advanced reader copy graciously provided by Little Brown Books via Netgalley

☆☆☆☆☆

An Australian, an American and an Englishman walk into a bar...

Sounds like the start of a very bad joke, right? Wrong. This is the captivating tale of an isolated girl trying to write her own story, seeking independence from an overprotective parent and setting out on her own for the very first time.

Abbey Bly is determined to start having her own adventures, beginning with studying abroad for a year. Little did she know adventures would abound from the minute she walked through the door of her new accomodations to discover her three roommates are in fact, guys. Gender neutral names and contact only by e-mail. This was bound to happen, right?

Abbey is a delightful main character, unapologetically enjoying every new experience and lusting after one of her roommates as well as another new acquaintance. With a thirst for knowledge and a passion for unravelling historical mysteries, the secondary plot line of Abbey delving into an unsolved disappearance from the past was unexpectedly gripping. That all this happened whilst she had her cake and ate it too? Brilliant.

This book gripped me from the get-go and whilst it's sold as a 'why choose?' romance, I was pleased to see Abbey get her happily ever after in the end. I will admit her final choice wasn't obvious to me as both love interests were decent and treated her respectfully whilst also being gloriously filthy at times.

There were a couple of examples of cultural stereotyping here. Being a girl from England myself, I'm downright disappointed that I haven't yet rubbed elbows with the upper echelons of society, attended a royal ball or been called 'love' by every guy in a 50 metre radius. But there's still time I guess?

A great read and I would thoroughly recommend!

Abby moves to London to study thinking she is about to enter a house share with 3 other girls - but those 3 girls turn out to be 3 boys! It is an opportunity for Abby to start growing up and enjoying her life. I loved her friendships with the guys and her relationship with her father. There was also a mystery side story that kept things interesting other than the romance. All in all a fun read.

Where to begin... this book was so much more than a romance.

Let me explain, we begin and follow throughout the POV of Abby who has lived a life with her rock star famous father with not much in the way of world experience, she decides to accept a place in a uni in London and travels to house share with who she thinks is 3 other girls, when she arrives tho its actually 3 other guys lol so you have this story of her learning to live and let her hair down.

Then we have the mystery of the painting she buys at a yard sale and decides to explore more about it for her uni essay - this is a great distraction to the romance part and I really enjoyed it as well.

Then you have her relationship with her dad that has never let her go - they are funny and heart warming too

All in all it was just a fab read, first from this author for me and prob wont be the last

4 stars

Would recommend

Where to begin... this book was so much more than a romance.

Let me explain, we begin and follow throughout the POV of Abby who has lived a life with her rock star famous father with not much in the way of world experience, she decides to accept a place in a uni in London and travels to house share with who she thinks is 3 other girls, when she arrives tho its actually 3 other guys lol so you have this story of her learning to live and let her hair down.

Then we have the mystery of the painting she buys at a yard sale and decides to explore more about it for her uni essay - this is a great distraction to the romance part and I really enjoyed it as well.

Then you have her relationship with her dad that has never let her go - they are funny and heart warming too

All in all it was just a fab read, first from this author for me and prob wont be the last

4 stars

Would recommend

REVIEW POST - Book 9 of 2024

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy

We all know Off Campus is my Roman Empire so I wasn't sure what to expect with this. I felt as tentative as Abbey in those first few chapters. Slowly but surely easing in to the story.

One thing Elle does beautifully is build a picture of friendships and all the banter and love that comes with that. And this book is no exception. I absolutely adore Jamie in this book. Can we see a story for him please? 🤔

This story is all about coming of age, exploring the world for yourself, and all the mistakes that you make along the way. It's tender, sweet, sexy, funny and all the things that life should be at 19 years old!

Thank you to @netgalley and @ellekennedy33 for the ARC copy of this book.

This will be the 13th book that I’ve read from Elle Kennedy and I can honestly say that she is my comfort author. Every single one of her books make me feel a certain way and that it comfort. I can go into her books knowing that I’ll enjoy it, have fun and laugh out loud at least several times!

This book made me feel just that!

It did take me a while ( about 30%) until I actually got into this book but when I was into it,I loved it! It was so different from what I’ve read from her before and to be honest anything before in general.

It had the love triangle trope as well as some historical mystery which I haven’t read much of but I feel like they’re hard to execute separately let alone together but Elle Kennedy did that and did it well.

I spent the whole book being really stuck between both of the FMCs love interests and I really couldn’t decided who I wanted her to choose because they were just written so well. You couldn’t help but love and root for them both!

The mystery side I didn’t think I was going to enjoy but I honestly did, it had me wanting to keep reading to get the answers. It wasn’t predictable whatsoever and I was genuinely surprised by how it all panned out!

I absolutely adored the British elements in the whole book! She really made them bits relatable for me as someone who lives in England. Also, it shone through the characters personalities perfectly.

The only thing I wished for is the epilogue to have included a bit more ,like a conversation between the characters a bit further on or even the characters in the future!

Overall, I 100% recommend this book and I can’t wait for people to be able to experience it!

I want to thank Netgalley and Piatkus for giving me the chance to read this as an ARC. Although it is an ARC, all opinions are my honest ones!

Like everyone else when I saw the email saying I was approved for an arc I squealed. I’ve been a fan of Elles writing for the last year ever since I picked up the off campus series exactly a year ago. Elle has a writing style that is very effortless, easy to read and captivating.

The book follows 19 year-old American Abbey as she flies to London for university to find out the female flatmates she expected are actually male. Abbey chooses to lie to her very overprotective retired rockstar dad, to be able to live the adventure she craves so much. She meets flatmates Lee, Jamie and hot aussie Jack and quickly is immersed into the mystery for her history class and a love triangle.

I am not the biggest fans of love triangles, and although Elle wrote it well, I was screaming frustrated at the book due to my very overpowering bias towards one of the love interests. I did feel like there was a certain depth to both Nate and Jack (love interests) that was missing alongside the deliberation of who she chooses. It seemed rushed. The dynamic with Nate was not something I enjoyed especially him coming out of a relationship with someone who was friendly with Abbey.

Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the friendship dynamics she builds with characters like Lee, Cece Jamie and the other side characters. The interactions were fun and fresh with many laughable moments. I love Jamie he had me cracking up every scene he was in. I enjoyed seeing sheltered Abbey get out of her shell and find herself. The mystery subplot is what made it stand out from other romcoms or romance books out there. I’d be itching to get back to that part of the book needing to know more.


Aside from the depth the love interests lacked (which is very unlike Elle’s MMC) I thoroughly enjoyed this book, one which has you laughing and giggling and kicking your legs. A book which you open and next minute you know it’s several hours later and you’re 60 percent in already. For me it was a very fast read, and I finished it within a day.


Thank you to ‘Little, Brown Book Uk’, ‘Piatkus’ and Netgallery for the opportunity to read and review the E- Arc. Thank you to Elle Kennedy for another great book.

The way I squealed when I saw the approval email land in my inbox and the speed at which it was delivered to my kindle. It will come as no surprise that it jumped straight to the top of TBR pile, and was devoured rather unexpectedly cover to cover in one sitting . I went into reading this blind, having managed to avoid any plot spoilers on IG and Elle's newsletter, which never happens for me.

I liked the dual stories woven throughout, Abbey forging her own way in London while trying to work out who Josephine is and her relationship to the infamous Tulley family. It was a pleasant surprise to read a more mystery vibe in an Elle Kennedy book and I enjoyed the respite from Abbey’s love triangle woes. I’m glad she chose who she chose in the end and if it ever turns into a series it would be 😜 awesome 😜 to see where they end up. I didn’t feel super attached to any of the characters like I have done in previous EK books but overall I’m a fan of this non - sports romance/mystery. Not a hockey stick or puck in sight 🏒

Thank you to Little Brown Group UK + NetGalley for the opportunity to read a Girl Abroad ARC before it’s released on 13th February 2024 🩵 #GirlAbroad #NetGalley

Oh, I adored this book! My excitement soared when I received an advanced reader copy. Given my fondness for Elle Kennedy's hockey romances, I dove into this one with high expectations, albeit a bit wary due to my usual aversion to love triangles. To my delight, the book handled the love triangle element exceptionally well, surpassing my concerns.

One aspect that truly enriched the narrative was the captivating side plot involving the mystery girl in the painting. The quest to unveil her identity added a layer of intrigue and depth to the storyline, elevating the overall reading experience. Every scene in the book felt purposeful, contributing meaningfully to the plot and the book's overall atmosphere.

I found myself enamoured with all the characters, appreciating the intentional crafting of each scene. To say that I loved this book would be an understatement. Even though it's only January, I'm already considering it a strong contender for my favourite romance novel of 2024!

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this captivating book in advance.

I was so excite to be approved for this title. Elle Kennedy is one of my favorite romance authors, her hockey romances are sooo good. But sadly that spark was missing for me in this one. It read more like YA than NA and fell a bit flat with character development.

Spoilers below:
Firstly, the main character Abbey read very YA but that can be attributed to her sheltered upbringing. But what didn't make sense is almost every guy she meets in UK is immediately attracted to her. Came across as an American superficial dream to me.
Secondly, both the male leads sorely lack caharcter depth. They're hot and that's about it. Abbey makes a fuss about not willing to date MMC#1 (aka Nate) since he already has a girlfriend, but when he does break up with said girlfriend to be with Abbey she's suddenly not interested in a relationship and wants to keep it casual?? Convenient excuse to hook up with MMC #2 (aka Jack), the very NEXT day after hooking up with Nate.
And thirdly & lastly, (and this is my new pet peeve cuz I didn't expect it). we never even get a proper smexy scene with the guy she ends up choosing. There was too much build up and no satisfaction (pun intended).

I think I need to reread Graham Effect again to comfort myself 👀

Special thanks to Little Brown Group UK and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review..

Girl Abroad was a new adult romance that felt more upper YA to me, probably because of the narrative style given to the protagonist, Abbey. She had such naivety to here which fit her protected upbringing to some extent.

It took me time to get into this story and I could quickly see the triangular shape of what was to come which didn't thrill me. The friendships were more inspiring to me than the romance to be honest.

I find I much prefer Kennedy's hockey romances because although they're also NA, they seem more 'adultish'.

Thank you to Piatkus Books for the eARC.

I’m a big Elle Kennedy fan, so when I got approved for this I was over the moon. However, I honestly just couldn’t lose myself in the story as easily as I could with her other books.

First of all, Abbey annoyed the hell out of me. All the men in the book pretty much fall for her and I don’t get why. Because she gets excited about history? Because she seems so innocent? All the love interests want to protect her. I just don’t get it. She was so two dimensional. I just didn’t find her to be a likeable character at all. To be honest, I didn’t really like any of them. The only saving grace was Lee.

I’m not a fan of the love triangle trope and this book is exactly why. She sees both of them without really getting to know them. She meets Nate at a bar and then they meet a few times for random bike rides across the country and they’re together. I liked Jack a bit better, but not by much.

This book is so different from how Elle usually writes and it’s not her best. I feel like the book was YA with a few bits of smut thrown in. Now way did these characters act like they’re in their early twenties. If you hadn’t guessed, it just wasn’t for me. It took me almost four days to finish and that is a slow one for me. Let’s hope this kind of writing isn’t the new standard to expect.

This author’s books have the ability to simultaneously make you unable to stop reading while wishing you could bury the book somewhere deep underground where it can't be found. Compelling and didn’t want it to end!

This is a real departure from the other books I have read by this author. It’s technically a romance, but the relationships are really vehicles through which the heroine explores her own possible selves. I would say it’s primarily a coming of age story, with a very prominent historical mystery subplot, and a double romance sub-sub-plot. The pacing is a bit peculiar, with a slow start eventually giving way to a medium pace for much of the book and then everything (the mystery and the resolution of the love triangle) wrapping up at breakneck speed within the last few pages.

I appreciate the different things the author was doing/trying here. It is brave, in the current conservative climate of mainstream romance reading, to write a heroine who is both emotionally and sexually involved with two men. The problem for me is that neither of these relationships gets enough page time to develop to the point where I believe in or care very much about them. We don’t spend a great deal of time seeing either of the men getting to know the heroine and for me, there’s a sense of, Why does everyone keep falling in love with her? How did they get from A to B?

The coming of age element is more successful in my view, and what starts out as a fairly ho-hum mystery picks up speed further along and becomes more compelling than I expected. All in all, this is definitely an unusual read within the genre and although not all of it worked for me, I would love to see more mainstream romances follow its lead and push the boundaries a little.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

and she does it again.I am addicted to Elle's books and her writing. I am not even a fan of love triangles but she just does it right. she can't do no wrong with her books in my eyes.loved the slowburn and The characters. I read it in one sitting. I will always recommend Elle Kennedy. 5 stars.

Elle Kennedy's writing is always guaranteed fun, and this was no different! I personally love a love triangle (controversial) so was super interested in this side of things. I loved Abbey's relationship with her dad and all the cute music references. I thought the setting was really well done, and the friendships she built were lovely.

Where this slightly fell down for me was some of the British speak. It felt VERY US/CA assumption of how Brits speak rather than authentic British speak (I don't know anyone who's said the word 'snog' for example for at least 15 years or anyone who spells 'love' as 'luv') so I do feel it could've benefitted from more English editors eyes on it.

But that niggle aside, this was a quick, enjoyable read!! :)

I loved this book, Abbey's self discovery throughout this book is breath-taking.

This book tells the story of Abbey, the daughter of rockstar Gunner Bly. Her entire life, Abbey has lived in the shadows of her father's fame, never allowed to experience and live life herself. In order for Abbey to break away , she decides to move to London, to find herself, love, and adventure!

In this book, Abbey gets everything she wishes for, and plus some! Firstly not only does she find herself roommates, she mistakes their identities and in fact all three of her roommates turn out to be guys. Hot guys too. These three guys soon becomes Abbey's family, together these three take on some wild adventures.

In the love department, Abbey finds herself in a love triangle. I generally don't go for the love triangle trope, but this was written very well. Both guys had a lot of qualities that I was rooting for. However, there were a few issues I had with how her relationship started with Nate. I will admit, I disliked Abbey there for awhile. Other than that, I loved Abbey.

Her relationship with Lee was AMAZING. I genuinely laughed out loud at some of their dialogues and antics. Lee, Jamie and Jack are incredible guys, the way they supported each other and went to each, no questions asked, I loved it!

There is so much happening in this book, that I could write a review for days. It was entertaining, suspense filled, funny, loving and a real page turner. Once you pick this book up you wouldn't want it to end!

Overall I really enjoyed this book. A massive thank you to Elle Kennedy, Little brown group and netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy Elle Kennedy's new adult romances so I was really excited to read this one! Girl Abroad follows an American girl who comes to London during her college year abroad and has a chance to get to know herself away from her protective, famous father. This is a great book for fans of love triangles, fun banter and a side plot mystery!
I have to say Girl Abroad did have two tropes I'm not a big fan of - love triangles and love interests that already have gf/bfs - however the love interest partner was dealt with quickly and the love triangle kept me on my toes until the end! I would have liked to have seen Abbey get to know her love interests a bit more as I did struggle a bit with understanding why she liked them apart from them being hot. But, I really liked the casual dating aspect that didn't have possessive jealousy and it felt believable in terms of dating nonexclusively and seeing Abbey having fun with it all.
I really enjoyed the mystery subplot, especially having something the main character was focusing on outside of her romance - I find Elle Kennedy is always really good at fleshing out her characters so the story is about more than just the main romance.
Overall, although it was not my favourite Elle Kennedy, it was an enjoyable, quick romance - perfect for fans of love triangles!

3.5*

So this book gave off different vibes from the off-campus/briar u/ avalon bay series' BUT I really enjoyed it!

The side plot of trying to solve the mystery of the painting was one of my favourite parts - almost rivalling the romance itself.

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

The love interests Nate and Jack were both swoonworthy and I honestly agree with how Abby would struggle to chose between the two - however she did pick the same boy I was rooting for so that was a bonus!

I will definately be purchasing the physical copy of this book when it is released and I can't wait to see what Elle Kennedy has in store!

Thank you Netgalley, Elle Kennedy and Little Brown Books for providing me with this arc!


Public Review will be posted on February 1st 2024 on my tiktok, storygraph, instagram and goodreads links will be attached to my accounts.

I truly loved this book! I'm not usually a fan of love triangles but this was just amazing! Abbey is so self-assured and puts the boys in their place when they're acting up. The found family in this book is so beautiful and I'm obsessed between the relationship between Abbey and her house mates. There was also an unexpected dash of mystery within the book too which was so exciting to read and watch unravel.

My only issue was that I believe the love triangle went on a little too long, only by a few chapters or so, but it definitely could've been wrapped up sooner!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.