Monique is a preacher’s daughter in Texas and is currently dating Dom. Mo does everything to make her parents proud, but she is worried because Dom wants to have sex. Mo is always in pain, whenever she tries with Dom and after 29 attempts, Dom breaks up with her. With the help of Sasha, Mo discovers she has vaginismus and goes on a journey with Sasha and Reggie in order to win Dom back.

This was my first Joya Goffney novel and wow was it amazing. I’ve had Joya’s debut novel: Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry on my kindle for a while, I just never got round to reading it, but I will definitely be picking it up soon after reading this masterpiece. I highly recommend this book, especially for young girls as it is such a super sex positive book and we don’t really get taught this in school. The characters development of Monique was fantastic and I especially loved the friendship between her, Sasha and Reggie. They were both super supportive throughout Mo’s journey and I was so glad she had them both when she needed cheering up or someone to confide in. This book is YA and reading it reminded me on why I love reading young adult.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @hotkeybooksya for providing me with an ARC and Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl comes out on the 3rd May 2022.

My rating of this book reflects my gratitude for its existence. A YA book that raises awareness so sensitively yet realistically- YES! As someone who has experienced the condition discussed in this book, and as a 'youngish', Black Christian woman, this story touched me a lot. I'm grateful that a light is being shone on this generally unknown condition and it will start some good, healthy and necessary discussions.

Overall, I had a good time reading this. The character development of the family was great and I really appreciated the humour within the story. I will definitely be reading this again and encouraging others to read it.

This book was fantastic and was literally very much needed! I can't wait to read more from Joya as she's great at everything she does. I continue to admire how much I, as a black girl, need her words. Wonderfully done!

This a great book. To explore 'taboo' subjects like this in such an accessible way is amazing, and very much needed.
The characters were great, with each defying an expectation in one way or another. The story itself was detailed and interesting, and though it felt a little rushed at the end, it was definitely an enjoyable read.
A really good new book, with lots of important things to say. I look forward to seeing it get the hype it deserves.
4/5 stars

I received an arc of this book in return for my honest review of the book. Thank you to Joya Goffney and Bonnier Books Uk / Hot Key Books for giving me the opportunity to read Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl before it’s release.
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl follows 17 year old Monique; the daughter of the local preacher. On first look her life seems perfect; her boyfriend is an integral part of church community and is adored by her family, their two year anniversary is upon them and she’s almost positive that one day they’ll marry.
Underneath the surface however holds a whirlwind of emotions as Monique is torn between her parents expectations of a perfect daughter, Dom’s desire to take their relationship to a more intimate level, and her own uncertainty of exactly who she is. After yet another failed attempt at losing her virginity her relationship hits the rocks, and Monique starts her journey to finding a cure to her vaginismus, finding unexpected help in Sasha; the girl who her mother feels is the perfect church girl, and in Reggie; the troubled teen her father has taken under his wing.
This book is a potent exploration into a condition that so direly needs more attention. Goffney tackles the condition head on in a no holds barred approach, brilliantly addressing the condition and the stigma many young girls have to deal with when it comes to sexual understanding and health. While I cannot relate to the condition itself, I did relate to the lack of sexual education Monique had and the initial avoidance of discussions of that nature from her family.
I initially struggled to feel invested in the characters and the book but I am so glad I persevered past my initial uncertainty as I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, I grew to love the characters and I ended up adoring several characters I did not initially like.

Okay, I thought I loved Joya Goffney's first novel, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, a lot, but this?? This knocked it out of the park. So funny, and such a great portrayal of what being a teenager is like. I loved how positive this book was as a whole. It has an amazing message, and really great representation of vaginismus, which absolutely needs to be talked about more. I learned so much about this condition from this book, and from reading the Author's Note, it seems like the author had it herself, so you know that the experience is true to life. There's a really excellent portrayal of finding friendship with the most unlikely of people, and the relationship that blossoms is just so sweet and healthy and adorable, I love them with all my heart. I think that this book absolutely needs to be read by every teenager when the time comes for them to be in their first relationship and deciding what they want to do with their body - it really shows what choices are healthy, and how women's bodies are not objects for men to enjoy, and that men are not entitled to a woman's body, no matter who they are, whether they are dad, boyfriend, whoever. I really loved this book, and I would highly recommend it!

Monique is supposed to be a good girl. With her Dad being the preacher at church and her Mum being extremely strict she has always followed the rules. Dating the town’s golden boy, however, leaves her torn between obeying her parents wishes of staying a good girl and giving herself a more intimate relationship with Dom. But it’s harder than it seems and Dom is tired of waiting for her and breaks up with Monique.

Determined to win him back, Monique finds out she has a condition and with the help of some unlikely friends - the church girl she can’t stand and the town’s bad boy - she sets about trying to fix her body. Along the way, however, Monique learns more than she thought she would and begins to question everything she has always taken as gospel.

——

Joya Goffney approaches the topic of growing up in a church environment head on. She confronts the issues surrounding purity culture and also explores the classic lesson of don’t judge a book by its cover in a really fun way.

Monique was a dynamic character that felt very realistic and Goffney’s writing was filled with a nuance that made her characters relatable. At times I felt the pacing was a little unbalanced but overall the novel kept me entertained and I sped through it.

With purity culture capitalising on shame, I feel that this book has such an important message that unravels the contradictions of purity culture and exposes the toxicity of it. It is a side to the coming of age story I have never read before but is certainly one that needs to be heard. I believe that this book will not only entertain its readers but also support and educate them which is a beautiful balance I love to find when reading.

This book attempts to explore something that is still so wrapped up in taboo and it’s very successful in doing it. There is representation for sufferers of vaginismus and those who have been negatively affected by purity culture, and the novel discusses being pressured into having sex.

There’s also a cute romance, fun car rides, and a lot of friendship.

I really enjoyed my time reading this book.

3.5 stars is more accurate.

I was really excited about this book and the concept of it. I really enjoyed the refreshing and frank discussions around sex and the female body but I just felt it lacked a little in areas. Some parts I really enjoyed and others I found myself wishing they would hurry up.

I absolutely loved every character though (except Dom but thats obvious) and Sasha and Reggie were just what Mo needed.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A very enjoyable read! I loved her other book and this book didn’t disappoint. It’s a perfect example of how ya fiction should be.

Everybody needs to read this book - but especially, every teen should be given a copy! There are so many important topics covered in this book that I wish I had had growing up and there was still plenty for me to take away from it now and I definitely learned from this book.

Joya Goffney has such a talent for writing what we need to hear and packaging it up in an engrossing tale. This book reminds us that we carve our own path in the world whilst showing us, from Monique’s, narrative that everyone deserves respect and trust and the freedom in any relationship, whether with family, friends or romantic partners, to be your own person and be heard. This book is a call to not be afraid, to not settle for less than you deserve and to be compassionate. I was wary of how this book might incorporate faith into the narrative and whilst Monique’s belief and the beliefs of those around her were central to the novel, there was no preaching. It felt as though faith was a natural part of the narrative and complemented the exploration of sex and relationships. The way in which all of the relationships in the novel grew and changed was interesting to read and the positive messages about being a woman and respecting women were fantastic and this book was such a refreshing read that would benefit teens and young adults.

I’m looking forward to whatever Joya Goffney writes next!

Oh this was nice but I think it's going to be one of those books that is difficult to review without spoiling it for others.

A great bunch of characters are here as well as loads of body and sex positive messages.

Monique's father is a Pastor and as such, she is expected to be perfect in every way. She does well in school and attends church every week and even has a boyfriend who is the golden boy of the small town in which they live.

However, when Mo is unable to have sex with her boyfriend and he breaks up with her, Mo begins to take steps in "fixing" herself in the belief that this will bring her boyfriend back.

Will Monique discover her own self worth during the journey?

Joya does it again! These are the kind of books I wish I had growing up. It is so beautiful and refreshing to see representation! Growing up I wouldn’t even be able to tell you any books where the characters looked like me. But this book was so refreshing and relatable. In this book; Monique struggles with the idea of sex and after being dumped by her boyfriend she goes to try and ‘cure’ herself. Along the way she becomes friends with ‘bad boy’ Reggie and ‘goody two shoes’ Sasha and together they help her overcome her fears.

I absolutely loved the friendship she found and along the way finds out what love and family can do once you stand up for yourself.

A must read for romance lovers!

I didn't finish this book, and I just think it just wasn't for me. I am probably the wrong demographic for it, being an older lady. Whilst I am no way a prude, I found teenage sex and their reaction to it a bit uncomfortable.

The book is well written and I believe that a younger demographic would enjoy it. It just wasn't for me.

Confessions of An Alleged Good Girl is an utterly incredible, coming of age YA that brilliantly explores body and sex positivity, the toxic views on sex and sex education and through Monique and her experiences, raise awareness of of vaginismus. This is a beautifully crafted and compelling story that I know will be invaluable to many readers who might—like Monique—might not have access to sexual health services or information.

Monique, a Preacher’s daughter and girlfriend to the town’s golden boy seems to have the perfect life. But, with her parents thoughts on sex before marriage ever present and her boyfriends pressure to get intimate, Monique is torn.

Tired of waiting her boyfriend breaks up with her, spurring Monique into discovering her inability to have sex is caused by a medical condition. To win him back Monique plans to resolve the “issue” with help from the only people she can turn to—frenemy (and fellow church girl) Sasha and the town’s resident bad boy Reggie.

But I’m doing so, she must face some home truths: maybe she shouldn’t be fixing her body to please a boy, maybe Sasha was the friend she’s need all along and maybe Reggie isn’t so bad after all.

I found it utterly riveting and thoroughly entertaining and though Joya Goffney’s own experiences with vaginismus allow her to expertly and sensitively delve into such sensitive subject matter with gusto, she still manages to keep the plot lighthearted whilst bringing awareness to a condition that isn’t widely known about.

Monique’s depth and dimension as a character was superb and her conflicting emotions (fear, guilt, shame, anxiety) surrounding her body and sex will definitely resonate with readers currently facing similar experiences or situations, and hopefully encourage them to seek help or a safe space to talk about it.

I honestly loved both Sasha and Reggie-who were two of Monique’s biggest supporters throughout and I’m soo glad she had them both, cheering her up and being there to confide in when she needed it the most. One of the characters I didn’t particularly like in the beginning does get a redemption arc that I enjoyed (don’t worry it’s not who you think) and I really appreciated that they owned up to their mistakes in the end and sought to actively help.

The love triangle aspect was interesting but I have to say, the contrast between Monique’s ex-boyfriend Dom and Reggie was a really interesting one and proves that people’s perceptions of others aren’t always accurate. This is also the case for Sasha as well, who despite Monique’s initial judgement is actually pretty amazing.

Overall, this is a heartfelt, inspiring and thoroughly insatiable story of self love, body positivity and reclaiming your sexual identity that YA romance lovers simply must read!

Also, thanks to Hot Key books and Netgalley for the e-arc.

I was so excited to receive this ARC!! Many thanks to Netgalley/author/publisher for an advanced copy!

This book had me hooked from the start! The characters, the storyline, the location! Wow I loved it!

Monique is the daughter of a pastor and as such, she’s expected to be a model of good virtues. She’s expected to be well behaved, smart, keep on the down low kind of girl.

Monique is fed up with having to play by her parents strict rules and wants to do what she can to rebel against them without getting caught.

Her older sister was cut out of the family the way and she does not want this to happen to her.

This definitely felt like “a coming of age” story as you watch Monique deal with what she needs to do for her life and how she realises she needs to live and not be held back by her strict parents.

This was a great read and I cannot wait for the release date!

REVIEW: Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is the second book by @joya.goffney that I’ve read that solidifies how important it is to see your self in art because i enjoyed it sooo much!

After the amazingly cute #ExcuseMeWhileIUglyCry, I was so excited to have been approved for an ARC of Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl and it did not disappoint!! 😫💙

Main character, Monique is a ‘Church Girl’; a girl with a preacher for a father who is expected to be perfect and live up to all the ridiculous standards that a supposed Child of God should adhere to. When her seemingly perfect church boyfriend Dom breaks up with her for her inability to have sex, Monique is forced to question everything shes ever known (or in this case not known) about her life and the choices only she can make for it.
(Remind you of anyone 🐺😆)

I’ve met many a church girl and the depiction of them in this book is so real for those in and out of the church, that I commend Goffney for that alone.

Both Joya’s stories are amazing, not only for their depictions of African American lifestyles but for how relatable they are to both African Americans and Blacks of other nations. There were so many fun moments between the family and friends of the main character that had me laughing out loud because I’d been, done and said so much of it. That in essence, is what makes Joya’s books so wholesome; yes for the Black community, but for other communities to see us in non derogatory or discriminative lights.

Where Joya created an amazingly hot character in Carter, in her previous book; she does this again in new character Reggie and to a lesser extent with Dom. Fae warriors are great and everything but nothing compares to the hotness of a secure alpha Black man. Even if he is 17 in this book! 😂

In short, I loved this book. Yes for the relatable content, humour and cuteness but for the positive Black narrative and romances that more people need to know about.

For a quick, easy and fulfilled read, I commend you to pick this up when its out in May!

Thank you to @netgalley @harperteen for the eARC. All views are my own.

I really enjoy Joya Goffney's characters - they are complex and flawed, but they do their best. This book was great, I loved how compassionate it was towards its characters. Everyone got to show vulnerability and work through their issues . If I had one complaint, it would be that the resolution came together rather too quickly and felt somewhat rushed. I wish the journey there would have been slightly longer. I loved the story though, I love stories about black kids being joyful.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a great coming of age book about a 17 year old girl, Monique, who defines herself by other peoples’ opinions of her. The local pastor’s daughter, Dom’s girlfriend, but can Monique find out who she truly is? This story tackles real and relevant teen issues, a fab read.

This book had me hooked from the word go. Monique is the daughter of a pastor and as such, she’s expected to be a model of good virtues. The pressure from her parents to live the life they expect of her is becoming too much and while she wants to rebel against their strict rules, she’s also terrified of being cut out of the family the way her older sister was. Her boyfriend is pressuring her to have sex but her fear of breaking the rules is too great to overcome.

Monique’s journey of self discovery is heartwarming and tragic in equal measure. I loved her realisation that she needed to live her life for herself and make her own decisions, not be pressured into doing things to make other people happy.

As an adult, and not the target audience, I want to defend the parents in the story, who are simply trying their best to help their daughter navigate the complexities of growing up. The story is as much about their self discovery as the parents of a teenager as it is about Monique herself.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a teenaged girl called Monique, whose father is a preacher. Over the course of the novel, she explores her body and learns to accept herself, with the help of two friends- this happens after Monique discovers that she physically cannot have sex, and feels unable to talk to her parents about it due to the fact they expect her to wait until marriage.
This is a really unique book because it openly talks about vaginismus, which I have never found in a book before.. This is really important as lots of people haven't heard of this condition, and could even have it and worry about it for years, without knowing they can receive treatment for it. The plot is still fairly light-hearted though, so I felt there was a good balance between funny and serious moments in the novel. It wasn't my favourite book I've read this year, due to the fact I wasn't entirely gripped, but that's just my personal preference- I'm still glad I read it just because I learnt something and I think if you're a fan of YA romance, you'll love this one!