WOW!!! This is the first book I'm reading from this author and I am absolutely blown away!! I don't often pay much attention to the synopsis so I went into this pretty much blind; I expected a sweet YA romcom and although it wasn't quite that, it was incredible and I'm so so glad the author went in the direction she did!! I loved the time-keeping, it would've been very easy to shove too much into a week but the time-stamps and the way events unfolded was done very skilfully, which made it read like just a very busy week!!

Nikki is such an incredibly layered, dynamic character. She's both vulnerable and resilient, she takes care of her little sister but also needs to be taken care of; she exhausts herself trying to protect her heart from disappointment but still secretly kindles a hope that things will change. This could have made her a bitter or mean character, but once again, Goffney has taken something that could have gone very badly, and made it absolutely gut-wrenchingly good. You can't help but sympathise and empathise with Nikki; you want her to go out on her own and take back that control that was stolen from her, you feel for her frustration and her sadness. At one point I was almost rooting against their relationship because I was worried she would give up the audition for him but I really shouldn't have worried because the way that was handled was flawless. She was allowed to grow and take steps forward and take steps back, but she never sacrificed her dream, herself, what she knew she needed. She knew what would benefit her, even if she couldn't quite name it - she needed the audition because it gave her the independence, the confidence, the validation, the out, and she didn't let anyone take that away from her, while still maintaining caring for her sister and allowing herself the peace that Mal brought her.

I love how soft Mal was- he made a stupid choice at the start but he was allowed to grow and come back from that and I didn't feel the defensive need to hold that against him (I tend to be unforgiving when it comes to love interests making mistakes oops). Which is such a kudos to the author's skill - that she's able to let her characters make mistakes without making them horrible people- absolutely love to see it.
When he gave her his chain??? Maybe I sobbed; also their first kiss??? WAS SO FREAKING SWEET!!! The way their love was so soft, wholesome, and gentle - his voice cracking at the start when he was begging her to stay, the way he would absolutely drop everything to help her/be there for her etc. I mean,, him teaching her how to love??? How to be vulnerable and shed the guilt of it - I couldn't get enough of them, actually. And the way that extended to taking care of her little sister? That boy was in LOVE love. The way he reacted to her not knowing how to say she loves him back, he was so mature about it. He didn't push her to be vulnerable or talk about her feelings, he showed her that it was ok by doing it himself and that was just,, ugh so good!!

The one thing I struggled with a little was the pacing - I thought I knew where it was going when they started the road trip but that quickly got complicated. It was a lot of back and forth so pacing-wise that as a little jarring. HOWEVER, narratively, and appreciating the reason behind the pacing and repetitiveness of events, it's genius. It's exhausting reading her take steps and make ways to get to that audition and get her life started, and then be dragged back to the place she wants to be least in the world. It's exhausting reading her hope and be disappointed and hope again etc. but it's so so smart because in doing that, the reader is living a little of what Nikki is- if its exhausting reading about her life, imagine how it is for her to live it.

The relationship she has with her mother is painful and unhealthy, toxic even. The way it's written with so much depth and so much unsaid is really- so validating for anyone who has a difficult relationship with a parent. I could identify with her internal conflict between wanting to protect herself and also wanting to give in and take the small blessings when they come. When she asked her mum "...so then, what was it that I did that made you do that to me?" I had to put my phone down because wow. It was such a simple question but the weight it held- it felt like a very pivotal moment for all the characters, it was an acknowledgment that she didn't deserve the abuse, it was the heart-breaking realisation that she still on some level blames herself, but it also felt like an answer - there was no reason, there never is a valid one. This is definitely one of my favourite lines in the whole book. Closely seconded by "As soon as I unlearn it, though, I'm going to teach my sister how to love." This was so beautiful - that she could acknowledge that her sister needs to un/learn the same things she does and that when she hurt her it was just an attempt to protect herself. That perspective and that empathy that she showed was so so wonderful to read.
By the end of this book I felt so at peace knowing that these characters will go on to live very good lives off-page. That they would continue to learn together and hold onto their worth, and that they would have each other. It's never perfect, but the ending was so hopeful and to be quite honest, maybe I tearing up a little.

This was such a gem of a book, I can't wait to pick up a physical copy when it's released!! It's definitely one of my new favourites. The author has taken very real experiences that often breed hopelessness and resentment, and instead of ignoring the reality of that, which she could have for the sake of a cute romance, she used the romantic plot as a vehicle for gaining self-awareness, empathy, and giving the MC a safe-base to touch back whenever she needed a breather. She wove the difficult reality with a hopeful ending and it just made the most wonderful story.

My Week With Him was another delight from Joya Goffney. If you enjoyed Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, you’ll love this equally as much. This book was full of teen angst, complex family relationships and young dreams.

After having read and loved Joya Goffney’s other books, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry and Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl, I was so excited to have been sent an advanced reader’s copy of Joya Goffney’s new book, My Week with Him. This book follows Nikki and her dream to get out of her small town and away from her family drama to share her music with the world, no matter who she has to leave behind, even when the people closest to her will do anything to get her to stay.
This book is classed as a Contemporary Young Adult Romance and is set to be released in July 2023.

Just like Goffney’s other novels, My Week with Him tackles some pretty serious issues, including poverty, generational abuse, and toxic parental relationships, while following Nikki’s journey to follow her dreams. Goffney highlights the sense of pride, and how it stops us from accepting help from the people who care about us because of the mindset that we shouldn’t need it in the first place, but Goffney reminds us through Nikki’s story that needing help, no matter the form, doesn’t make us weak, it just makes us human. Sometimes we just need to let the people who care about us do just that, and stop resisting the love that we deserve, and Nikki learns that with us.

Reading this book was a wonderful experience and I recommend that everybody does the same.
Joya Goffney is a truly excellent author, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: My Week With Him
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Joya Goffney
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: YA Romance
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 11th July 2023
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 13th June 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.25/5

Oh, wow.

I’ve read Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry and I liked Goffney’s writing and the way she handled hard hitting themes in her YA novel but I must say, My Week With Him is another level.

I loved it.

In fact, I devoured this in approximately 2.5 hours. It was super easy to read despite some of the intense theme topics. I found this book to be much more touching and authentic compared to the other book of hers that I’ve read.

The romance was great. Best friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes and whilst this one started rocky, I became quickly obsessed. The only thing I will say is that the love interest didn’t have a character arc of his own and coupled with being the Most Perfect Boyfriend Ever, he did sometimes come across to me as a Professional Fixer for the main characters life.

Despite this, there are some elements done incredibly well. In this book, the author explores dysfunctional families in two forms: a family that is entirely unhealthy in their interactions belonging to the main character, Nikki, and a family that has had to work hard to gain their functionality belonging to the love interest, Malachai. Sub themes are also bought to light here such as toxic parenting and adoption. I think that the author did the most wonderful job of tenderly navigating the complex and turbulent relationships in this novel and it is easily my favourite aspect of this book.

I also loved Nikki’s inner conflict towards her mother. Her anger at her mothers mistreatment of her, her heartbreak each time she’s let down, and the continued hope that maybe, maybe things will be different. The emotional congruency of the main character really grounded the story for me and gave it an authentic feel.

I would have loved a more concrete resolution to the story but as stories go, I won’t be forgetting this one for a long time.

—Kayleigh🤍
@ Welsh Book Fairy🧚‍♀️✨

Joya Goffney is a must read author for my students and with this new release, I can't see that changing anytime soon. Despite the shorter length of this just novel, this does not take away from the more complex nature of our lead characters. A really fun read.

I recently read My Week With Him, a novel which follows Nikki who is desperate to get away from her hometown and family so she can start a career in the music industry. Nikki's best friend (and massive crush) convinces her to stay for one extra week before leaving to go to LA and in that week he tries to convince her to stay.

This was a quick read but that didn't take anything away from the intricacies of these characters. Nikki has a less than great relationship with her mum which manifests a complicated relationship with her sister. Add in a rich best friend who she's in love with and lots of self doubt about what she deserves and you've about got the tip of the iceberg for this book.

Nikki is strong willed and determined but she struggles to fit in, convincing herself that she is a burden and a problem, all because of the treatment she receives from her mother. I enjoyed getting this raw insight into Nikki as a character and getting to unpick and understand the other characters in the book as she learns more about them. I didn't really start delving into her relationships until after I'd already finished the book so it's left me with some lingering thoughts and feelings for sure.

I would have liked to have seen more of Nikki's other friends in the book and also more of her friendship with Malachai in the beginning but I get that the author wanted the focus elsewhere for the bulk of the narrative.

It's definitely one I'd read again! You can read this and not look too hard, enjoy it as a cute YA book or you can see the detail and unpick the characters, either way I'd say it's worth the time!

My Week With Him is out next month and is all about accepting who you are and opening yourself up to allow others in so they can love you. While chasing your dreams of course 💛.

I loved Joya Goffneys two previous novels so when i saw she was releasing a new one i was beyond excited! And super happy to revive an ARC. Oh my god, Joya did NOT disappoint !! I adored this book and the characters, everything about it was perfect!!! I loved every second and never wanted it to end, Joya’s writing is just so beautiful, an auto buy author for me, forever!!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an arc for a 'A Week With Him' by Joya Goffney

The premise of the book sounded really interesting as it was about two best friends Nikki and Mal in High School and the male character Mal convinces Nikki to spend a week with him taking a road trip around Texas to show her every thing she would be missing if she leaves.
I did enjoy the book however I feel there could of been more character development to carry the story along. I felt the relationship between the two main characters wasn't given enough time to develop.

I believe more could have been done with the story and I truly enjoyed the setting of the book and the adventure of the road trip.

Look forward to other works from the author

Joya Goffney has been a recent find for me after reading her previous books I realised she has a rare talent. Her stories are multi-layered, heartwarming and soul changing. My Week with Week was no different, Nikki and Mal are the story but there's so much more. The social issues explored (trying not to spoil anything) made this feel even more real. I cannot recommend this enough.

'Excuse me while I ugly cry' by Joya Goffney was a five star read for me so I am sad to report that 'My Week With Him' largely just left me cold. I finished it a month ago and it has made no real lasting impression on me - I so wanted to love it so am very disappointed. Nikki is a talented singer and musician with the promise of a big audition lined up. She is ready to leave behind her friends, the end of senior year and her abusive home life to hit the big time. The snag to this plan is her best friend Mal, who confesses feelings for her and then challenges her to have a week with him - a week to change Nikki's mind about running to California and abandoning everything she has ever known.

The story yoyos between Mal and Nikki's bubble of a friendship turned relationship to Nikki being treated horrifically by her emotionally abusive mother. The back and forth of her mother seemingly being nice one minute and threatening to make Nikki homeless the next is dizzying (and clearly something which has been going on for years). Whilst I really feel for Nikki and her sister Vae, I could not fully get emotionally invested in these characters and I never felt overwhelming love for the Nikki and Mal pairing (they have so much history, their relationship seems to go from 0-100 without much insight for the reader).

Overall, I will definitely read whatever Goffney writes next but this did not work for me. 3 stars.

I really wanted to like this as I've enjoyed Joya Goffney's other two books but sadly this one just wasn't for me.

This book follows Nikki, who is planning on going to California for an audition and leaving Texas and everything else behind but her friend Mal asks her to give him a week to convince her to come back. Everything happens so quickly at the start, with Nikki being betrayed by her sister, kicked out of her house, and making up and getting together with Mal. Then it continued to move so quickly with everywhere Mal and Nikki were going and everything going on with her mom and Vae - there just didn't seem to be much explanation for anything and there were too many plots to keep track of.

Nikki and Mal are also said to be best friends, but at the start of the book they aren't speaking, then suddenly everything is fine and they're a couple. Again, everything happened too quick with no explanation. I also didn't feel the connection between Nikki and Mal that should have been there from their years of friendship - it felt like I was just told they were close but I couldn't feel it.

Finally, the whole story starts because Nikki is going to California for an audition, but this doesn't even happen in the book and the ending, once again, happens so quickly that nothing feels like it is really addressed fully.

Just, read this book, definitely worth the time. Sometimes I find books drag, but this was definitely not the case in regards to this book, so definitely recommending this to all my friends (and anyone else looking for book recommendations) I don't stop talking about books basically ever and this book is certainly not going to be the book that stops this problem.

A glorious romance that warmed my heart. I loved the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I think this one has to be a DNF for right now, but since I adore Joya Goffney's previous work, I definitely see myself coming back to it soon. Will update my thoughts when the time comes :)

When I first read Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl I knew Joya was going to be an auto buy author for me and then when I read Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, I was sold. Her style of writing is so lovely and her books are so heartwarming and inspiring, I highly recommend them to anyone.

However when I finished My Week With Him I was disappointed at the lack of explanation and just general plot holes that weren’t there in her previous books. The relationship between Nikki and her mum was strained and her mum acted pretty harsh at times and there didn’t feel like there was a resolution to this. Also the whole book was centred around an audition Nikki was going to attend and this was why she was leaving town, but in the end we didn’t even get to see the audition and then the book just ended. I think the romance and the relationship between Nikki and Mal were perfect, but the story was just missing so many plot lines that it just made it feel unfinished to me. It was also extremely fast paced but so much so it felt like a complete whirlwind.

Overall, this book is not my favourite from Joya Goffney, but I still love her previous two books and will continue to recommend them to any YA lover.

I do not typically DNF ARCs mainly because I am extremely grateful to receive them.

However this book just didn’t do it for me.

It felt as thought 55% into the book it had lost direction. The main character had not even begun to develop or progress in any way, shape, or form.

As a result, it felt extremely bland.

I am a fan of Joya’s other works but this one did not do it for me.

Joya Goffney does it again.

Last year I picked up Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry and finished it the same day, bleary eyed, dehydrated and completely obsessed. Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl was right up there, and almost too relatable with the condition I also have and the strict religious parents. To say I almost combusted when I got this advanced copy is an understatement.

My Week With Him follows Nikki, a young Black girl who, after being thrown out by her mother, decides to flee to California to pursue her music career. After finding this out her best friend, Malachai, tries to convince her to stay and spend the rest of spring break with him. When her sister runs away, Nikki is forced to go back and work with her mother to find her. A whirlwind of mother – daughter problems, romance and learning to love and be loved ensues.

Joya Goffney somehow always manages to mix just the right amount of drama, difficult family relationships and young love and I just eat it up every time. Nikki’s relationship with her mother is turbulent and heartbreaking but ultimately healing. I love the way it was handled, with a clear message on what’s normal and healthy, and with the mom having reasons but not excuses.

A big part of Mal’s and Nikki’s friendship happens before this story and that sort of already established relationship is always tricky to pull off, but I thought it was done well. Without spoiling, there were bumps in the road with the way some reveals were done but I can’t complain as everything got addressed and wrapped up nicely.

Nikki’s background is completely different from Quinn’s and Monique’s, the protagonists of the other 2 novels, and I really enjoyed being able to compare them and appreciate the way Nikki was written. Goffney has such a grasp on the teenage psyche that’s so fun to read while having really clear character development and lessons that I’m envious of the target audience for being able to these books young.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'My Week with Him' by Joya Goffney.

Joya Goffney is back and better than ever. 'My Week with Him' is Joya's third novel now and yet again, she doesn't fail to write a perfect book. From well-built characters who feel relatable to the writing that captures your heart and attention, this novel is outstanding and remains to be a reason why Joya Goffney is such a rising star.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this.
This is my first read by Joya Goffney and I enjoyed it.
It contains romance, family troubles and humor as Nikki navigates her way through her desire to be a singer.
Not for children but perfect for older teens/YA.

⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the arc✨

This book brings up some triggering topics so please look these up before reading.

The description of the book sounds super intriguing and I was so excited to read my first Joya Goffney book however I am slightly disappointed.

I found a lot of the book was talking and not a lot of descriptions, i felt no attachments to any of the characters and disliked most of them except for Nikki.

There is little explanation surrounding the reasonings behind peoples actions so you are left bewildered as to why things are happening.

I also found a lot of the book unrealistic for examples malachis parents seemed highly too good to be true.

One thing that also annoyed me is seeing what time things happened as at one point the MC’s were eating bolognese at 7 AM and i’m unsure if this is accurate in anyones life??😂

I did enjoy the writing style so I will still give the authors other books a read!