Girl Abroad

by Elle Kennedy

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

With New Adult titles on the rise, Elle Kennedy is here to deliver all of the romantic tropes you love to see, alongside angst, tension and laughs, all wrapped up in a few juicy secrets.

New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy brings her signature angst, drama, and humor to a new standalone romance. My Oxford Year meets We Met In December, Girl Abroad finds the daughter of a retired rock star studying abroad in London and entangled in scandal and romance.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728299808
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	02/13/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	4,667
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

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 currently writes for various publishers. She is the author of more than 50 titles of contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels, including the global sensation Off-Campus series.

Editorial Reviews

12/11/2023

Bestseller Kennedy (The Graham Effect) delivers an angsty and addictive new adult romance. Abby Bly, 19, the only child of formerly hard-partying rock star Gunner Bly, grew up “hearing the stories of his many exploits but having no stories or exploits of my own, coddled and sheltered in the hermetic seal of his guilt and regrets.” So she leaps at the opportunity to spend her sophomore year of college at Pembridge University London, finding a flatshare online with three female roommates. But when Abby arrives on their doorstep, she realizes Lee, Jack and Jamie are men. Despite the momentary shock, Abbey soon seamlessly fits into the household, falling for her rugby-playing roommate Jack, a hunky Australian—and also for Nate, a musician who’s part of their friend group. (“My erratic pulse is now confused as to which guy it’s pounding for.”) After Abbey buys an enigmatic painting at an estate sale, she’s caught up in the mystery behind it—even attending a royal ball with Lord Benjamin Tulley, one of the original owner’s heirs. Kennedy skillfully keeps readers guessing which suitor Abby’ll end up with and the mystery painting provides some welcome additional intrigue. The London setting, charming heroine, and well-drawn love quadrangle make this a treat. Agent: Kimberly Brower, Brower Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

2023-12-16
A rock star’s daughter decides to study abroad in search of her own experiences, finding romance and intrigue along the way.

For 19-year-old Abbey Bly, having a rock star for a father isn’t as glamorous as it seems. For one thing, she shares her name with Abbey Road, and for another, the only version of the famous Gunner Bly she knows is the helicopter parent she lives with in Nashville. Hoping to find her way outside her father’s sphere of influence, Abbey decides to spend a semester in London studying European history at Pembridge University. Promising to keep her father updated on every aspect of life abroad, Abbey heads to her shared apartment expecting to find three female roommates…only to find that she’s actually living with three men. Afraid that Gunner will order her home, Abbey decides to keep Lee, Jack, and Jamie’s gender a secret (lucky their names sound androgynous!) and sets her sights on adventure. While working on a research project about a mysterious painting and adapting to Britain’s drinking culture, Abbey finds time to explore a little romance despite her housemates’ strict no-fraternizing rule. First there’s Jack, a commitment-phobic Australian hottie who can’t seem to stay away from Abbey; then there’s Nate, a sexy bassist who keeps forgetting he’s taken. Toying with nonexclusive relationships and exploring her sexuality, Abbey can’t help but feel excited about all the experience she’s gaining, but has she really, truly found herself? Kennedy’s novel is a page-turner—who wouldn’t want to travel to a foreign country and meet interested potential lovers down the hall? Abbey is a relatable character who yearns to stand outside her father’s shadow, and though the love triangle is a focal point, it never outshines the heroine’s growth.

A spicy novel that’s a must-read for fans of a British accent.

Kirkus Reviews