Joya Goffney is now definitely one to watch for actually showing young people in her beautiful literary prose what real life relationships look like. I found her writing style easy to read and I was very invested in Mo and Reggie and their blossoming relationship. A true gem of a book!

This book is aimed more at YA readers. It was a good book however not the best the author has written, her previous novel was better. Still worth a read though if you like her other books

I'd give this 3.5*
It's a fun read but not quite as good as the author's previous novel.
Perfect summery YA romance.
Has a really good focus on friendship, which I think is important in YA.

This book was so good. When I started it, I thought it might be too heavy on the teen drama for me, but it reminded me of everything I love about YA. The complex plots, the heavy emotions, the fact that everything can feel so immediate and that the parents can be a real obstacle and sometimes threat.

What I loved most was just how easy it was to sink into the book. The main character Mo, was easy to get to know and get into the voice of and I just loved every second of reading her story. I also felt the subject matter was important. It was handled in an honest, feminist and completely entertaining way that never felt forced or like it was pushing the issue.

It also had a little sprinkle of LGBT rep, as two of the side characters are Sapphic!

All in all, this book was just perfect. I loved it.

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney

Monique is connected to the two favourite men in her town- her father is their beloved preacher, and her boyfriend is Dom, their shining star. However, she is constantly torn between being the perfect church girl, and Dom wanting to have sex. Dom breaks off their relationship when he gets tired of waiting and heartbroken Monique goes on a quest to win him back. Along the way she becomes friends with Sasha, her overly-enthusiastic church enemy, and Reggie, the towns ‘bad boy’.

This is a book that can be thought of in two parts. The first half is a deep dive into growing up in a religious household, the expectations on children and the feeling of pressure. Monique feels the need to be perfect after her older sister was cast out by her parents for not following the path set out for her.

The second half of the book is centred around Monique journey of discovering what vaginismus is, and that she might have it. I have never read about vaginismus in a fiction book, and it is such an incredible topic to have in a YA story. I hope that young people experiencing similar things to Monique know they aren’t alone and there is help out there!

What really sold this one to me was the relationships in this book and how they grow and change, and the boundaries that Monique puts in place for her own wellbeing. We see Monique begin to appreciate her own self worth as she distances herself from unhealthy relationships, and becomes closer with some unexpected people who help her embrace her true self.

A great YA book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⚠️CW// emotional abuse, misogyny, toxic relationship, religious bigotry

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

Perfect family, perfect boyfriend, perfect life…right?

This YA novel follows Monique, the daughter of a preacher and the town’s most respected family. Her boyfriend, Dom, is welcomed and loved by her parents and everyone thinks they are the perfect couple, but are they?
Dom has been pressuring Monique to further their physical relationship, something that’s not so easy under her family’s watchful eye.
Dom becomes frustrated and dumps Monique who then tries to change and seeks medical advice to try and win him back. On the way she makes a friend of the ‘perfect’ churchgoing girl, Sasha and starts an unlikely friendship with the local ‘bad boy’ Reggie.
Both Sasha and Reggie teach her that not everyone is perfect and basically Dom is a piece of sh*t!
Who will be the most unlikely person in her life to help her the most? You’ll have to read and find out!
A great YA fiction, perfect for older teens and covering some harsh but real topics, such as teenage sex, peer pressure, religion and in particular the subject of Vaginismus are all treated sensitively and are well written and informative.
I wish their had been more books like this when I was a teenager (oh those dreaded days!)

So excited to have received this from Netgalley. I adored Joya Goffney's previous book and I was looking forward to reading this one. It did not disappoint.
This is the story of Monique and her quest to win her boyfriend back. Monique is faced with a lot of pressure to be perfect as she is the preacher's daughter. She is expected to behave in a certain way and definitely not engage in pre-martial sex. Her and her boyfriend have been trying to have sex for 2 years, but haven't been successful. After 2 years, he breaks up with her as he can no longer wait. Monique feels sad, but she vows to 'fix' herself and win her boyfriend back. In come Sasha, who is perceived by everyone as being perfect, and Reggie, the local trouble boy. They both embark on a journey to help Monique with her health issues.
I adored this book and the characters. I love the found family trope, but also the strong feminist undercurrents of this book. The characters are great and they grow a lot as the story progresses.
The writing is addictive and the book is also educational. I learnt a lot about certain things.

Loved this book! The author has such a unique way of writing. The story was well planned out and I will Definitely getting it in print soon!

Amazing book discussing an often overlooked topic! A perfect beach-side read which would be enjoyed by an older YA audience as well as adults.

I was a big fan of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, so have been eagerly awaiting this second offering from the same author!

In it we meet Monique, alleged good girl, daughter of a preacher and girlfriend of angelic drummer Dom. However things are less than perfect.

In come Sasha - and overzealous frenemy of Monique's, and Reggie- the resident bad boy, to accompany Monique on her journey of self-discovery, and what unfolds is a love triangle with some big family drama but ultimately a story that carries some vital messages for young people.

I liked the way this book explored what turns out to be a very toxic relationship, and the balance between the seemingly angelic Dom, and the 'devilish bad boy' Reggie. Dom is a horrible character, he's jealous, manipulative, pressuring Monique to be intimate and then breaks up with her when things don't quite go to plan.

Overall the book offers more than your atypical YA romance nudging it into the New Adult category. It raises awareness about vaginismus, the importance of sex positive conversations between parents and their children, loving your body and respecting yourself, as well as the dangers of toxic relationships.

I look forward to more from Joya Goffney!

This book is possibly the best book I've read in 2022. I loved the honesty, the joy, the brutally personal elements.

This book has so much diversity - the author includes a vast spread of races, sexualities and genders. I also thought the focus on her sexual health condition, vaginismus, was hugely important as many girls experience this and likely have no idea what is going on within their bodies.

What a wonder.

This YA romance is the first I have read by this author. Although it is classified as a romance, it is more about falling in life with yourself, accepting your body, and the importance of friendships.

Another fantastic element of this book is the awareness that it brings about vaginismus. I wasn't aware that this condition existed until reading this, and I cannot agree more that this is very important and should be spoken about openly. This can provide comfort for those who may have the condition, as well as offer information and education to those who don't.

Monique is a great main character, and although I couldn't relate completely to the incredible journey she undertakes, I did recall being a young female at 16/17 years of age, wondering if parts of my body were "normal" (if anyone knows what normal is, please let me know!) Even now, there are times I get a little insecure in my own skin, at nearly 40, and the author gets this across in the perfect way!

I will be recommending it to my girlfriends, and their daughters, and I also think it's important that men and boys are knowledgeable about this condition too, so they are aware of how to support the lady in their life and understand that there is light at the end of the tunnel!

A debut author to me, but not the last I will be reading by her, I am sure! Fantastically written, engaging, entertaining and empathetic. A great five-star read!

This book was such an enjoyable read, I loved watching Mo’s growth with herself and also with her relationships with new friends and her mum. It send off such a positive message to do things to make yourself happy and no one else

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

⚠️ TW/CW: Vaginismus, Toxic Relationship, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Content, Religious Content, Racial Slurs

Thoughts: I absolutely loved this! From the first chapter I was completely hooked by Joya Goffney’s writing and these amazing characters. All the characters feel so unbelievably real and by the end of the story I was not only loving the book but I felt proud of the characters and the journey of discovery they had been through. I loved that this book has unapologetic representation of vaginismus and sexual intrigue that comes with being a teenager. I would 100% recommend this to anyone wanting a fun and quick read that has a lot of self discovery and relationships involved too. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Recommend? ✅
Reread? ✅

Joya Godfney's first book was a massive hit with my students and it looks like this follow up will be the same. Being lured in by a deceptively "fluffy" cover, this story is actually of raw truth, emotional choices and the ever growing love between a mother and daughter.

This book was so much more than what I expected it to be, I really enjoyed the story as it unfolded we got to see the bond between mother and daughter get stronger. I also felt like I actually learned something new from reading this book. Thank you for the chance to read this book look forward to reading more from this author.

I have to say, this story was not the light and fluffy ya romcom I was expecting! It was so much more, it tackled some deeper topics and emotions which applaud the author for.
Unfortunately, something about the style/pace just didn’t click with me and I found I really hard to stay focused. In the end, I did skip large sections.

While I appreciate the fact that the author is trying to bring awareness to a disorder that women sometimes struggle with, the story itself has not been very engaging. The story sometimes feels very unrealistic, and the dialogue sounds "stiff", especially when Monique is conversing with her family members. The development of the relationship between Monique and Reggie also seems a bit too fast-paced, and the ending is very rushed.

I loved Excuse Me While I Ugly cry so was so excited to see this release.
I am so happy to read a book teaching genuine sex positivity in such a delicate manner. Relationships, religion, and gender equality were all also handled so well.
I found the characters all so relatable, and some serious topics also blended in with a fun story.
I believe this is a really important book that could be a valuable one for young girls.

Not at all what i thought it would be, but nonetheless was an enjoyable read. Will update with an in depth review soon.