Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy
I wound up reading Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy on a whim. I was browsing goodreads one evening and it showed up on my home page because one of my friends had recently added it to their To Be Read list. The cover grabbed my attention
I read this New Adult book many years ago called What Scotland Taught Me and really enjoyed it, so I thought another book about studying abroad would be right up my alley.
And let me tell you friends… It did not disappoint! And it’s my first Elle Kennedy book too, so now I feel like I immediately need to dive into her enormous backlist.
But before I get carried away, let me share my full Girl Abroad book review with you. The characters in this story were so funny and really made me laugh. And there’s even a slight mystery that main character Abbey Bly has to solve. Keep read for my full book review and if you’d like to read some of my other reviews click here.
What is Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy About?
When nineteen-year-old Abbey Bly gets the opportunity to study abroad for a year in London, it’s the perfect chance to finally slip out from under the thumb of her beloved but overbearing retired rock star father. She’s ready to be free, to discover herself—but first off, to meet the girls she’s rooming with. That is, until she arrives at her gorgeous new flat to discover those roommates are actually all boys. Charming, funny, insufferably attractive boys. And off-limits, with a rule against fraternizing between housemates after unwanted drama with the previous girl.
Abbey has never considered herself a rulebreaker. But soon, she’s lying to her father about her living situation and falling for not one, but two men she can’t have: her rugby-player roommate and a broody musician with a girlfriend. Not to mention, her research for school has gotten her tangled in a deeply hidden scandal of a high nobility family, surrounding her in secrets on all sides.
If there’s any hope of Abbey finding love, answers, or a future in London, she’ll have to decide which rules—and hearts—might be worth breaking. (from Amazon.com)
Who is Elle Kennedy?
Elle Kennedy is the author of many contemporary romance novels and series. Some of her most popular book series are the Off-Campus series and Briar U.
What Genre does Elle Kennedy Write?
Elle Kennedy mainly writes contemporary romance stories. Her books often feature college and university students.
Is Girl Abroad a Love Triangle?
Yes. While initially she seems hesitant to start any relationships while she’s studying abroad, two different guys catch her eye. Both of them are off limits for different reasons, so she does her best to avoid them. But when the chemistry gets hot, she realizes that it would be silly to deprive herself.
I like the way Abbey approached relationships, to be honest. It’s refreshing to find a young female character who is in control of her life and her sexuality.
I’m not saying all of her decisions were the best, but I found her refreshing never the less.
What Did I Love About Girl Abroad?
Abbey Bly is such a great character. She’s definitely naive when she heads off to London, but why wouldn’t she be? She lives a very comfortable life with her rock star father. So getting out into the world and experiencing things for herself is completely brand new.
I also really loved the friendships Abbey made, and the different people she connected with through her different relationships (both platonic and romantic). Some of the funniest scenes to me were when Abbey was in the library studying or researching (IFKYK).
As a cozy mystery lover, I also really enjoyed the mystery that Abbey tried to solve during her time in London. She winds up buying a painting from an estate sale, and makes it her mission to find out who the woman is in the painting. It winds up being a long and complicated process to uncover the truth, but her investigative process was definitely fascinating.
What Didn’t I Love About Girl Abroad?
I found Abbey’s relationship with her father to be a little strange. Lol. But with that being said, I did like him and I did think he was a good dad. He was just so overbearing with his constant calls and texts and checking in on her all the time. Maybe I just can’t relate because my parents have always been very neutral toward me.
In Conclusion
Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy is a really fun study abroad story. Abbey is a fun main character to read about and I loved the friendships she developed with her 3 flat mates. This story had a lot of humor, and maybe a few cringe moments here and there. But that’s college, for you. We aren’t always on our best behavior during our college years.
If you enjoy Elle Kennedy books or if you enjoy New Adult stories that take place at university, I think you will enjoy this book. As I mentioned, this is my first Elle Kennedy book and I can’t wait to check out more of her work.
xo Marian
