Joya Goffney

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! 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. After two years of trying and failing, her boyfriend breaks up with her. To win him back, Monique teams up with straight-laced church girl Sasha--who is surprisingly knowledgeable about Monique's condition--as well as Reggie, the misunderstood bad boy who always makes a ruckus at church, and together they embark upon a top-secret search for the cure. While on their quest, Monique discovers the value of a true friend and the wonders of a love that accepts her for who she is. Despite everyone's opinions about her virtue, she learns to live for herself, inspiring us all to reclaim our bodies and unapologetically love ourselves.

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

Charlsy Sekyere

** spoiler alert **
           

⭐️5

This is the second time Joya Goffney has done it. Excellence is all she produces. This is yet another book that I have nothing but positive things to say about. Following the excellent 'Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry' by Joya Goffney, I had high hopes for this book, especially after reading the synopsis. 

In a nutshell, this book did not disappoint. It's a great book. This was a 5 star read from the start and from the moment I opened it, I was hooked. I didn't want to put it down.

It was gold to watch Monique and Reggie's brief friendship blossom into a romantic relationship. From their first interaction, the chemistry, laughter, banter, and cuteness were evident. With Reggie, Monique can be herself, which she couldn't necessarily be with Dom. There is a clear ease in how they interact that calms Monique.

 I instantly fell in love with Reggie the moment he was mentioned, just as I did with Carter in Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. Reggie is far superior to Dom in every way. Playful, humorous, mature, considerate, and open-minded, he is damn near perfection. There is no doubt that he can be ditzy and silly at times, which adds a vibrant and light-hearted side to Monique, which was absent during her toxic relationship with Dom. There is no way you can read their adorable, cute moments without feeling giddy.

There's no way around saying it. There is no point in Dom competing where he cannot compare. The entitlement. The audacity. The selfishness. The disrespect. The insensitivity to Monique's feelings. The toxicity. There is no end to the list of how trashy Dom is. As the book progressed, he just got worse. 

Among the positives was how raw and honest the conversations revolved around the relationship between physical intimacy (especially premarital sex) and religion, delving even deeper to discuss fear, shame, and doubt surrounding physical intimacy. I didn't find it overly preachy, pretentious or holier-than-thou, but rather genuine and honest. It was all handled very well and delicately.

Monique's journey of getting to know and discover herself outside of being a pastor's daughter or Dom's girlfriend (two titles that do a huge disservice to Monique as an individual), learning that everything she does she needs to do for herself (especially concerning her body) was wonderful. The realisation that her condition doesn't define her and that she is not 'broken', and that she should be unapologetically herself in every circumstance. Monique just made me so proud. She is just everything.

Loved Sasha. As soon as she interacted with Monique, I knew I would adore her. Another example of why it is so crucial to never judge a book solely by its cover. 

Additionally, I enjoyed that everyone in the book (Monique, Monique's parents, etc.) grew in some way, whether it was developing one's emotional intelligence and understanding, or building emotional resilience. It was great seeing the family all together at the end of the book. Seeing them all happy made me feel a little emotional and brought me so much joy. 

One of the most enjoyable young adult romance books I've read this year, along with 'Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry'. Definitely worth reading. Two young adult books by Joya Goffney that I have loved and rated 5 stars this year? Yep, as a result, I am now committed to reading all of her books in the future.

Michaella 

This book was so enjoyable and I didn't want it to end🥰

Liana

** spoiler alert **
           This book is about a girl named Monique who has a boyfriend of 2 years(Dom) and her dad thinks that he’s a perfect church boy and a gentleman however because she was never taught about sex and it was forbidden in her family ,as her father was the pastor of a church, so she gained a curable condition which ment nothing could enter down there.

Over the story she becomes friends with Sasha who’s mum worked in a clinic and Monique thought she was just a church girl however she was really kind and helpful. She also falls in love with Reggie who her parents thought was a lost cause and they took him to church. In the end he is ready either but these two help her get over it. 

I think that this book only deserves 3 stars as it wasn’t very enjoyable but some scenes were funny but it wasn’t too interesting I just wanted to get it over with. I admired how the author wrote about this as she went through it herself which must have been tough. I didn’t mind the main character however she was very selfish and only thought about her self even when her sister Myracle had to leave because she was misbehaving, she made it about herself; if I lost my brother like that I would feel the same as her aunt dedee and he mother were hiding post cards and cheques that they sent to her sister. Overall I’m glad I read it but I probably wouldn’t recommend it as it’s not appropriate for me.

Maddison Joel

LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!

I thought it handled the idea of sex education so beautifully, helping the reader to develop knowledge about the different experiences people have with intimacy while maintaining relevance to the plot. The characters were realistic in the sense of being neither good nor bad, with relationships that change dynamics throughout as the main character adapts to life changes and discovers herself. I think this book would have been so helpful for me a few years ago. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Chelsea van Rer

4.75
im going to need joya goffney to write and publish another book right now thanks

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

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