The problem is it won’t come easy, which is understandable since the roots of this complex are something that women have internalized from a young age. Undoing something that has had years to cement itself inside your consciousness is always easier said than done. Ultimately, what saved the book for me and made it an overall win was that writing style I like so much and the characters which went a long way to overcoming the barrier I had about the revenge storyline. For readers who don’t have that same barrier, I think the book will work much better.

I enjoyed the snap and sizzle of the chemistry between Mac and Cooper. I liked that the group of friends were not perfect and that one in particular was presented with more nuance than initially appeared would be the case. Cooper is fired at Preston’s insistence and Cooper and his friends hatch a revenge plan: Cooper will romance Preston’s girlfriend away from him and then rub it in his face. You need to reflect and consider which of your beliefs are right and which are harmful. It involves a lot of unlearning and relearning, but it is essential to overcoming the good girl syndrome. 2. When you’re dissatisfied, find the root and act on it Whenever their partner suggests going outside what is accepted as ‘sexual normality,’ they tend to become uncomfortable and dismiss the idea entirely. Mac: "Look, let's be cool, okay? I know it's probably not fun being dead, but that doesn't mean you have to scream your lungs out. If you use your indoor voice, I'm happy to sit down and listen to whatever you -"It’s society’s expectations of who women should be and how they should act. Although they are admirable traits by themselves, women end up internalizing them and striving to please others, even if it’s at the cost of their well-being. I really enjoyed the interactions between Cooper and his friends. His twin brother was a bit of a hoot (like the comic relief so to speak). However, this only leads to miscommunication and feelings of neglect. The good girl complex can take an emotional toll, making you feel anxious, lost, and drained, and feeling emotionally burdened in a relationship is never a good sign. How to overcome the good girl syndrome Good Girl Complex had me intrigued the moment I first learned about it. Why? Because I have always been a people pleaser. And I was curious how this would work in a romance novel, and I think this worked as well as I thought.

This is when you actively stop letting people walk all over you. If you feel like certain decisions or certain situations make you uncomfortable, then don’t be afraid to put a stop to it right away. It’s nice to be empathetic and considerate of how others feel, but you must also learn to look after your own well-being. 3. Believe in yourselfBeing a nice girl revolves around the idea that if you want to be loved and accepted, you have to be nice and kind to everyone. However, it’s a skewed concept because we cannot please everyone we meet, no matter how hard we try. As if on cue, the shrill noises start up again, a cacophony of sound mingling with the crashes of thunder outside the old beach house. Good girls then mold themselves into the person that society wants them to be instead of becoming the person they really are. Does the good girl syndrome affect your relationship? I leave Cooper's room, heart pounding. Candles. I should probably find some candles in case the power goes out. Because nothing sounds less appealing to me than sitting in the dark listening to the shrieks of a century-old dead child. Society is telling you to only do what everyone else is doing and what everyone else expects from you without trying to be different.

For the better part of an hour, I don’t look up. The room is so dense the faces blur into a smudge of flesh, and all I do is pour and slide credit cards until I’m in a trance, barely aware of my actions. This often makes them psychologically vulnerable to toxic, codependent , abusive, manipulative, and unhealthy relationships. 4. Setting high standards for yourself It ties into their need to always please others. They essentially become a doormat because refusing and potentially getting into a confrontation might rid them of their ‘good girl’ image.

She eyes me with a raised brow. The earnest conviction on her face is cute, in a stubborn shut up and take your medicine sort of way.

Cooper, once he sees Mac as a person and not a clone (which, as I said, doesn’t take him long) is supportive of her in a way she’s never experienced from her tosser of a boyfriend and from her controlling parents. Unlike Preston, Cooper doesn’t think of Mac’s business ventures as her “little tech thing”. He’s impressed and not threatened by it (which, to be honest, could have used a little more exploration). It doesn’t just affect the sexual aspect of the relationship too. When you have good girl syndrome, you unconsciously employ tactics that make it easier to avoid shame and rejection. Right. Nothing spends faster than somebody else’s money. Rich kids spitting bills in a game of one-upmanship, all courtesy of Daddy’s credit card.I love Cooper. He is everything we love in a main male character. Tall, darkish, tattoos, gruff, and a rough exterior. Did I mention tattoos? lol Meg is a good mixture of independent yet not, in so many different ways. She has a go get them personality but struggles to show it to her parents. I was super excited to get an ARC of this book from Netgalley! To me this is a perfect book to read in the summer (but really anytime lol). Love that it is set in a beachside town. It gives me OC meets Gossip Girl meets Outer Banks (only because that show is set in a Carolina beach town, which this book is as well). Good Girl Complex is about Meg (wealthy, business savvy, but comfortable with her uber wealthy boyfriend) and Cooper (local townie who hasn't had an easy upbringing). Through unsuspecting cirmcumstances and a revenge plot these two end up falling for each other. But the question is, will they be strong enough to survive their differences and obstacles in the way. Elle Kennedy delivers with Good Girl Complex! I was a fan of off campus and briar U, so I went into this with high expectations and was not disappointed. With plenty of steam alongside the youthful romance, this winsome story about following one’s heart will especially appeal to hopeless romantics’ Publishers Weekly Although this is a common issue with both genders, this is even more profound in those with the good girl complex. They have trouble setting their boundaries for fear that it might end up pushing people away.