What a Girl Wants: A (True) Story of Sexuality and Self-discovery by Roxy Bourdillon is an honest, hilarious and heartwarming journey through the twists and turns of self-identity, love, and growing up. Told with refreshing candour, Bourdillon’s memoir takes the reader from her teenage years in Leeds to her adventures in Sydney, London and beyond, all the while exploring the many layers of what it means to truly understand who you are.

From the innocent crushes of youth to navigating queer relationships and discovering sexual identity, What a Girl Wants is a celebration of joy, empowerment and freedom. With relatable reflections on body image, heartache, and the search for belonging, this book resonates with anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world. Bourdillon’s narrative is engaging and conversational, making it feel as though you’re chatting with a close friend. She tackles difficult topics with humour and grace, making even the most nuanced of experiences feel accessible and authentic.

A laugh-out-loud read that is as heartwarming as it is insightful, What a Girl Wants is perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton and Caitlin Moran—though with a vibrant, queer twist that adds a unique layer of joy to the narrative. Whether you're looking for a story of love, friendship or empowerment, this book is a true celebration of the messy, beautiful process of discovering who you are.

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Early DNF

The writing style is very chatty and in-your-face jokes and references. I thought that it would work for me, however, it was a bit too much for my personal taste so I DNF'd. Would recommend if you love '90s/2000s references and a very chatty writing style.

This was a really engaging read, that felt a lot like chatting to a friend. Bourdillon writes in a really clear and accessible way, that was conversational while still being able to discuss deeper and more nuanced topics.

I found a lot of this book very relatable! Bourdillon is older than me, but we’re close enough in age, upbringing, and life experiences, that I saw a lot of myself in the things she discussed. Particularly the way she talked about her (then closeted) queerness influencing her teenage years, her time at school, and her approach to feminism, all rang very true.

I also really liked how she drew on wider cultural moments to retrospectively put her experiences in context. Some of them were media related, such as the premiere of The L-Word, and some of them were political, such as Section 28. I thought it was really interesting how she looked back at the different things that had impacted her life, and really added to the story she was telling.

Overall this was a very enjoyable and relatable read, that will hit very close to home for many queer millennials!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this memoir from Roxy Bourdillion. I related to the 90s nostalgia, the wonderful relationship with her granny and the woe of being cursed genetically with big boobs that men have always assumed they can comment upon. I was horrified but unsurprised sadly to learn that the Conservative government under Thatcher introduced Section 28 forbidding schools to teach the acceptability of homosexuality….. just WHAT?! I’m glad Roxy seems to have found her happy ending and I’m grateful to her and others like her who campaign for the rights of marginalised groups, as a mother of two it’s reassuring to feel like my children won’t grow up in quiet such an indoctrinated society.