Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

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Overall this was a wonderful read that I would recommend to teenagers (maybe 16+?) and adults. When this comes out in May I plan on buying a physical copy too, as I think it's a great addition to every bookcase and I'd love to lend it out throughout my life. Once again, I am so glad this book exists. I think every teenage girl should read this because its such an important topic. Similarly to Monique, I’ve had a really unhealthy relationship with sex for most of my life and this book made me feel so safe and seen. Joya Goffney is now definitely one of my favourite authors. Both her books have been fantastic and important. This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. Thank you to Rachel Random Resources and Hot Key Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily. This is a powerful story about the journey towards loving yourself, told with heart, humour and a delicious love triangle.

Joya Goffney, author of the acclaimed Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, delivers a powerful second novel about a preacher’s daughter in small-town Texas and her journey toward loving herself and her body, filled with heart, humor, family drama, and a dynamic love triangle. Perfect for fans of Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles and Calling My Name by Liara Tamani!

I enjoyed Goffney's debut but her sophomore novel is even better. I'm embarrassed to say that — even as a person who considers herself to be knowledgeable on sex education — I knew little about vaginismus or vaginal dilators before reading this book. I wish I had been able to read CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL as a teenager, and I'll certainly be gifting it to the teens in my life. I loved Joya's debut novel so I had high expectations for this. And it didn't disappoint! I loved this book to pieces and it felt so personal and beautifully raw. Thank you Joya for this book. It was a beauty. -- Michaela Williams * NetGalley * I literally adore this author. This first book was just wow and I have been highly waiting for the next book and let's just say it doesn't disappoint. It's a wonderful feel good book, that is sooo easy to relate to. We have all been there (if your an adult reading this that is) or could well be going through the same things (if you are a teen) either way. It's really easy to relate to and really easy to read. It's feel good and comforting and like a hug in book form. Loved it. -- Just Keep Reading * NetGalley * I can honestly say I’ve never read such a sex positive and inclusive YA fiction book before, and this was so pleasantly surprising. This is also the first time I’ve ever seen vaginismus recognised and discussed at length healthily in teen fiction - which is so incredible!! This is going to be so pivotal for so many young women who are going to finally understand themselves and their bodies for the first time, but also a myriad of other young people who have most likely never been told about the condition.

I absolutely Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by the same author so couldn’t wait for more from them, and I was not disappointed. Goffney has such an amazing voice in the YA world at the moment, and is writing stories and characters people are going to see themselves in and need to read about. Monique is a preacher's daughter who detests the impossible rules of her religion. Everyone expects her to wait until marriage, so she has no one to turn to when she discovers that she physically can't have sex. With the help of her frenemy, Sasha, the overly zealous church girl Monique's mum pushes her to hang out with, and Reggie, the town's not-so-good boy, Monique must go on trips to unknown and uncomfortable places to find the treatment that will help her. I loved the trios unlikely Friendship and how they supported each other, but I really liked Reggie's Character he stole my heart!!... Monique's too 😏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.

When I read the blurb for this book, I found it very intriguing, so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour. Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a captivating story about a girl discovering who she wants to be and reclaiming her body and her desires for herself, whilst learning what it truly means to have someone accept you for who you are. Book Genre: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Family, Fiction, Health, LGBT, Mental Health, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Young Adult Contemporary I enjoyed seeing Mo grow and go on a journey of dismantling her feelings of self worth and identity that was negatively impacted by factors such as religion, dealing with parental pressure expectations and learning about her medical condition. Mo doesn't feel like she can go to a medical professional about her condition which adds another layer to the story about sexual health education and how this can have a negative impact. As a consequence, we see Mo struggle to overcome with the stigma and shame she feels, how this impacts her self worth and how she views her relationships with those around her. Deeply empowering, sweet yet candid. A fearless story about the path to self acceptance.”—Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan, authors of Unpregnant and Save SteveOverall, 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!

With the help of her frenemy, Sasha, the overly zealous church girl Monique's mum pushes her to hang out with, and Reggie, the town's bad boy, Monique must go on trips to unknown and uncomfortable places to find the treatment that will help her. But in doing so, she must face some home truths: maybe she shouldn't be fixing her body to please a boy, maybe Sasha is the friend she needed all along and maybe Reggie isn't so bad at all. A compassionate novel that encourages teens to prioritize the control, safety, and comfort of their own bodies.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review) This story was memorable and Unputdownable I loved the characters they were very relatable, ( not Dom of course as anyone that makes someone feel not good enough for not being able to have sex in my eyes is a scumbag! ) There's so many layers to Monique, you find out right away why she is so devastated by Dom breaking up with her. He's been all she's had since her older sister left home. And Monique thinks if she can just have sex with him, everything will get better. But her listening to Sasha and Reggie as well as reading things, leads her down a path to discover her own body and to listen to her own wants and needs.

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If Joya Goffney is going to do one thing in her books, it includes healthy, open communication consistently. I absolutely adore how refreshing these books feel to read because the characters are so honest, open, and accepting with one another. It really creates an environment in which the characters can develop and nurture healthy dynamics. Because of the consistent communication, the development that the characters go through in this book is incredible. They end as more rounded, better people than they started.