Young Adult

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-04-16 08:51:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Joya Goffney
  • ISBN：1471411117
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Summary

Monique lives a perfect life - a preacher's daughter and the girlfriend of the town's golden boy。 But it's not that simple。 She's torn between her parents who want the pure virginal daughter， and her boyfriend， Dom， who wants to explore the more intimate side of their relationship。

Tired of waiting， her boyfriend breaks up with her， spurring Monique to discover she has a medical condition that makes her far from perfect and she concocts a plan to fix her body and win him back。

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。 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。

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Reviews

Nkatha ，

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 N 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。 。。。more

Denise Forrest ，

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 discove 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。 。。。more

IzzyFish ，

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 i 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！ 。。。more

Grey ，

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an early copy of Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl。After loving Goffney’s debut novel Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry， I was super excited for her second novel， and it did not disappoint。 Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a fresh and groundbreaking novel that tackles female sexual health， body autonomy， and the importance of healthy relationships。 The novel follows Monique Tinsley， who is a verified good girl。 She has never cursed， smoked， go Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an early copy of Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl。After loving Goffney’s debut novel Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry， I was super excited for her second novel， and it did not disappoint。 Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a fresh and groundbreaking novel that tackles female sexual health， body autonomy， and the importance of healthy relationships。 The novel follows Monique Tinsley， who is a verified good girl。 She has never cursed， smoked， gotten drunk， or anything else expected of a normal teenager。 Not that she ever could under the oppressive eye of her strict mother， or as the daughter of her small town pastor。 She would never dare to ruin her image and face the wrath of her parents， except…she tried to have sex with her boyfriend。 And it didn’t work。 Forced to join leagues with the town bad boy and the ever pious church girl， Sasha， Monique strives to understand what is happening to her body。 In this unlikely， and slightly unfortunate， journey， Monique learns to raise her voice and value herself。Goffney has a way with writing realistic and 3 dimensional characters。 Every person in this novel has depth and different sides to them。 I loved how Goffney crafted Monique’s pious and overbearing parents， who could have been easily labeled as bad or villainous， but instead the reader is able to sympathize and understand them as people。 The family dynamic， which is key to the overall story， was presented so well and organically。 I also really appreciated reading about Monique’s journey of figuring out what was happening with her body。 I don’t think I have ever read a novel， let alone a YA one， that discussed vaginismus， or any other vaginal condition。 This was pleasing to see， and brings representation to individuals who are grappling with vaginismus who may not feel normal。 I loved how Monique was not defined by this。 I think many people put sex on a pedestal in relationships， even though it is not the only thing that defines people or love。 I thought that was a very important message。My only gripe with the novel was that the pacing could be a bit fast at times。 Certain pinnacle moments or changes of heart felt rushed， seeming to only happen in a short span of time。All in all， I’d definitely recommend this novel， especially to teenage girls。 This novel has such strong messages about self-worth and independence that are really valuable。 。。。more

Shannon Newton ，

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。Monique is the daughter of a pastor in a small town in Texas。 She is expected to be the perfect virgin daughter， who is not allowed to have sex until marriage。 So when she discovers she physically cannot have sex and her boyfriend of 2 years breaks up with her， sh 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。Monique is the daughter of a pastor in a small town in Texas。 She is expected to be the perfect virgin daughter， who is not allowed to have sex until marriage。 So when she discovers she physically cannot have sex and her boyfriend of 2 years breaks up with her， she has no one she can turn to for support。 Enter the conservative church girl Sasha and bad boy Reggie and their top secret quest to cure Mo so she can win her boyfriend back。 Mo embarks on a journey of self discovery and learns maybe she doesn’t need sex to be worthy of love， maybe Sasha is the friend she needed all along and maybe， just maybe， Reggie isn’t so bad after all。Wow。 This book is not what I was expecting at all。 I thought it would be a typical YA rom-com， focused mainly on the love interest， with other storylines taking a back seat。 However， Goffney has produced an incredible， sex and body-positive story full of family， love and fun。 I loved that Mo was responsible for her own self growth and it was not attributed to a boy。 Her struggle to overcome the shame and worthlessness she feels was truly inspiring。The pacing was excellent and it was very easy to read， I finished it in one day。 The climax of the book was so well written and emotional， my heart had so much sympathy for Mo。 I think it is a testament to Goffney’s writing that I growled with frustration several times at the pure ignorance and arrogance of some of the male characters （if you know you know）。 I loved the focus on the strong women in Mo’s life and the chapter in the kitchen towards the end was so satisfying。 Overall this is a heartfelt， emotional and educational read。 I am grateful this story highlights the struggles women face with societal and familial expectations around their body， health and sex。 I recommend this for all YA fans， teens and adults alike， and I will definitely be adding Goffney to my auto-buy author list。Thank you to Bonnier Books UK for approving me for an e-arc of this book through NetGalley。 。。。more

Camryn O'Conner ，

JOYA GOFFNEY！！！！ She is one of my must-buy auto-buy authors what even I need to say to get you to buy and read her books。 I read Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry early last year and couldn't get enough， so I was super excited to get a copy to review from NetGalley。 Ok where I start （I could talk about this book for days but i'll try to keep it moderately short😂。） This is Mo's journey with understanding sexual health， navigating old and new relationships （both platonic and romantic）， with stereotypes a JOYA GOFFNEY！！！！ She is one of my must-buy auto-buy authors what even I need to say to get you to buy and read her books。 I read Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry early last year and couldn't get enough， so I was super excited to get a copy to review from NetGalley。 Ok where I start （I could talk about this book for days but i'll try to keep it moderately short😂。） This is Mo's journey with understanding sexual health， navigating old and new relationships （both platonic and romantic）， with stereotypes about what a "good church girl" should be。 This book is sex positive in the best way。 Seeing Mo go from being scared to say sex from speaking freely without shame made me reflect on some of the ways I think about sex and how I had many of the same thought chapter 1 Mo had。REGGIEEEEEE had me kicking me feet， smiling and screaming。 Goffney knows how to write a man😂。 I also love how the book ended。 I was beginning to think the story would end with Mo realizing she was read to be intimate， and while I would've been fine with that ending I loved how realistic the ending actually was。 I was very hard not to spoil this book but I highly encourage you to pre-order and read ！！！ Release Date: May 3， 2022 。。。more

Charlie Mccourt ，

I loved it！！ This is not your average book and it covers a topic you never hear about。 I remember being Monique's age and all those worries and concerns and can only imagine how much more worry would come from being known as and having to be the "good girl"。 Now as a parent I can relate to wanting to protect my child and everything about her， so that I can understand why Jesse and Bianca did what they did。 What really got me with this book is you get to see it from all angles， you get to see how I loved it！！ This is not your average book and it covers a topic you never hear about。 I remember being Monique's age and all those worries and concerns and can only imagine how much more worry would come from being known as and having to be the "good girl"。 Now as a parent I can relate to wanting to protect my child and everything about her， so that I can understand why Jesse and Bianca did what they did。 What really got me with this book is you get to see it from all angles， you get to see how opinions and perspectives can change。 How support can come from the people you least expect and how the people you expect it from can let you down。 I really don't want to give any spoilers away， as I think everyone should get to experience this book in their way so all I will say is GO READ IT！！ 。。。more

Obsidian ，

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley。 This did not affect my rating or review。Wow。 What a very good/solid book。 I laughed a few times and also had so much sympathy for the main character Monique， otherwise known as Mo。 I think this is the first book I have read in a while that really resonated with my upbringing。 I was raised in the Black Baptist church as is the fictional character。 And boy I had some flashbacks to conversations I had with my parents about sex。 I definitely recal Please note that I received this book via NetGalley。 This did not affect my rating or review。Wow。 What a very good/solid book。 I laughed a few times and also had so much sympathy for the main character Monique， otherwise known as Mo。 I think this is the first book I have read in a while that really resonated with my upbringing。 I was raised in the Black Baptist church as is the fictional character。 And boy I had some flashbacks to conversations I had with my parents about sex。 I definitely recall the looks from my mom and grandmother gave me and my brothers for not paying attention in church。 And I also recall willing with my entire body for our pastor to wrap stuff up after his 10th time dancing up and down the steps as he went about his sermon。 Black churches are definitely a culture。 I don't go to church anymore， because I honestly saw the way I was brought up as more harmful than good。 Mo's character hits a lot of the high and low points about being in the church， an also as being a "goody-goody" another label I got called throughout school because I didn't do things other girls did。 I think any young adult readers are going to love Mo， the secondary characters like Sasha and Reggie， as well as the ultimate message， know your body and it's okay to say no if you don't want to have sex。 I do want to say upfront this is told in the first person point of view， I know some readers hate that style， but it never bothers me。 Just wanted to mention it。"Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl" follows 17 year old Monique。 Monique and her family live in Texas。 Her father is the pastor of their church， and her mother has Black church lady down pat。 Monique wants to do what she can to make her parents proud of her， but she's worried because her boyfriend of two years， Dom， wants to have sex。 They have tried 29 times （yes this gets repeated） and had to stop because Monique was in so much pain and didn't want to continue。 After the last time though， Dom gets fed up and breaks up with Monique。 Monique is determined to win him back and through the help of two people she never thought of as friends （Reggie and Sasha） she goes about trying to "cure" her issue。 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。I honestly was ready to hate both of Monique's parents， I feel some kind of way about parents telling their kids sex is dirty and wrong and it somehow means you are less than what you are if you have sex before marriage。  But the story delves deeper into both of her parents， and you gain another perspective。 Still a messed up one， but one nonetheless。 I loved another reader calling this book a showcase of religious trauma， and honestly with so much of the legislation getting passed on a daily basis in this country， I can see how that reader would feel this way。 Telling teens if they have sex before marriage and or if they are gay， or trans， etc。 that means they are somehow wrong/dirty/less than is so messed up and very frustrating when you see the fallout from being brought up and talked about in this manner。 Can you imagine being a 12 year old and hearing from the pulpit every Sunday how if you have sex before marriage it means you have less value in the eyes of God？ Can you imagine being told if you are gay that means you are going to hell？ I loved the writing an thought that Goffney really captures the Black Baptist church in all it's glory， warts and all。 And she manages to still make certain thing funny。 I laughed long and hard at the Target scene。 The dialogue concerning Insecure and who should Issa pick had me cackling。 FYI， I am still not happy about her choice。 The flow was excellent from beginning to end and thought the arc of Monique， her parents， her friends， were well done。 I liked the place everyone got to in the end and I loved what Monique chose in the end。  。。。more

Connor O'Sullivan-Day ，

Pacing felt slightly random at times and I wish it was maybe a bit more fleshed out - however， it was such an enjoyable and heartwarming read。 I love all of the women in this book and I want spinoffs about Sasha， Jackie， Myracle， and Dee。 Even the mum！！ all of them！！！！

Aislinn Cody ，

This is a coming-of-age lovers dream。 Goffney yet again hits a trifecta of a beautifully written story that illustrates itself so wonderfully， while also having dynamic characters and genuinely interesting topics。 This genre is not new yet the appraoch they take has created a gorgeous book filled with beautiful characters that leaves you instantly wanting to read more。 Covering topics that I've never seen so openly discussed， like vaginismus and caressing an important story laced with religion， This is a coming-of-age lovers dream。 Goffney yet again hits a trifecta of a beautifully written story that illustrates itself so wonderfully， while also having dynamic characters and genuinely interesting topics。 This genre is not new yet the appraoch they take has created a gorgeous book filled with beautiful characters that leaves you instantly wanting to read more。 Covering topics that I've never seen so openly discussed， like vaginismus and caressing an important story laced with religion， identity， sexuality and body image the character of Monique spoke to so many levels of my soul， while also being charming and funny and interesting。 。。。more

Akifah ，

Confessions of an alleged good girl by Joya GoffneyRating: 4。4 ⭐️I just want to say， I restarted and finished Excuse me while I ugly cry yesterday， proceeded to read this book and finished this morning。 If that isn’t a testimony of how much I love and enjoy Joya Goffney and will probably devour anything she writes I don’t know what is。 This was a funny （I genuinely laughed out loud） ， fun but educational book that literally hooked me from the first paragraph。 The plot was unique and I loved our Confessions of an alleged good girl by Joya GoffneyRating: 4。4 ⭐️I just want to say， I restarted and finished Excuse me while I ugly cry yesterday， proceeded to read this book and finished this morning。 If that isn’t a testimony of how much I love and enjoy Joya Goffney and will probably devour anything she writes I don’t know what is。 This was a funny （I genuinely laughed out loud） ， fun but educational book that literally hooked me from the first paragraph。 The plot was unique and I loved our MCs。 Monique was your good girl who discovered herself through a lot of ups and downs and Reggie was your charming， not-so-good， extremely funny love interest， who I instantly fell in love with。 Joya Goffney’s writing was as witty as her debut book and the pace of the book was balanced with the plot and characters。 OK now here’s my favourite part of the whole book: the lessons it teaches。 Joya Goffney literally could not have written a more exemplary book tackling both known and unknown issues。 Through the topics covered in the book， she managed to highlight character development ， plot points and educate you。 To list a few， and I don’t apologise for any rant that may precede now or in the future because this book deserves all the hype:- The balance of religious views， strong family expectations and your own values。 Reading Monique’s growth was amazing。 Reading about her realising the importance of self-worth and staying true to yourself is what made this book amazing to me。 Joya Goffney makes it known that you need to appreciate yourself and know what you want instead of pleasing others。 That doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help。 It’s a matter of finding yourself and having the courage to say and explain what you want- Vaginismus。 I never knew what vaginismus was but it’s so vital to be educated about it because it’s a disorder people actually face。 Joya Goffney did such a great job in explaining not only what it was but methods to deal with it。 - The value and different dynamics of relationships whether that be with your family， friends， significant other etc。 So many different relationships occurred throughout this book and it added that extra realism when you see characters that may be portrayed one way， are not so simple on the inside。 I loved seeing all the side characters grow and they added so much more to the story。 - Other issues the book tackles which I would love to write paragraphs for but I will spare you the very long review: Female empowerment， consent， the stigma women face， I cannot emphasise enough to read it and I know so many people will appreciate this because it shed light to so many （as aforementioned） important issues。 It’s a quick， easy YA book that anyone can read and benefit from！ Word to describe the book: LearningThank you so much Joya Goffney and the amazing publishers for allowing me to read this book。 I will be now waiting （impatiently） for Joya Goffney’s next book。 。。。more

Ashley Hart ，

This was wonderful and an incredible study of the inner thoughts of figuring out oneself。 I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley。 The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。

Caley Meikle ，

This book was an absolute delight to read。 I wasn’t too sure about this book at the start but by 8% I was hooked！ I absolutely loved Monique and how much she grew as a character。 I loved the friendship story and it felt so authentic。 The amount of strong female representation in this book made me just so happy！ This book covered some very serious topics and raised awareness of a condition that affects many people who don’t even realise that it is a thing。 I genuinely think that this book could c This book was an absolute delight to read。 I wasn’t too sure about this book at the start but by 8% I was hooked！ I absolutely loved Monique and how much she grew as a character。 I loved the friendship story and it felt so authentic。 The amount of strong female representation in this book made me just so happy！ This book covered some very serious topics and raised awareness of a condition that affects many people who don’t even realise that it is a thing。 I genuinely think that this book could change lives。 This is a book that I would definitely encourage my step kids to read when they’re a little older as it was a really good story about attitude towards sex and knowing your own body。I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Chris Haigh ，

Off the back of her sparkling debut， Joya Goffney spins another story - this one far closer to home - about good girl Monique who is adamant about doing everything right， even when it goes against her secret desires。At the heart of the novel is a deep exploration of the self - not just of Monique's future and her desires， but also about the timely （sadly） debate around bodily autonomy as Monique battles with ownership of her body。 Goffney pulls this off with aplomb and Monique and her growing gr Off the back of her sparkling debut， Joya Goffney spins another story - this one far closer to home - about good girl Monique who is adamant about doing everything right， even when it goes against her secret desires。At the heart of the novel is a deep exploration of the self - not just of Monique's future and her desires， but also about the timely （sadly） debate around bodily autonomy as Monique battles with ownership of her body。 Goffney pulls this off with aplomb and Monique and her growing group of allies （from spiritual but sensual Sasha， to the effervescent Reggie） resonate strongly with any reader who has had to break out of the mold and forge their own path。There are a couple of quibbles to be found （one major character gets a 180-degree redemption startlingly quickly）， but those looking for a book that explores sexuality， autonomy， and faith while also being a charming romance， would be hard placed to find a better example。 。。。more

Eilidh ，

When Monique is dumped by Dominic， her boyfriend of two years， because of her inability to have sex with him， she sets out to resolve the problem in order to win Dom back。 Unwittingly recruiting the help of the Church loving girl nextdoor and the local bad boy， Monique tackles the conceptions her parents and society have projected of what makes a “good girl” versus what she wants for herself。 Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl tells the beautiful coming-of-age story of a young girl taking back When Monique is dumped by Dominic， her boyfriend of two years， because of her inability to have sex with him， she sets out to resolve the problem in order to win Dom back。 Unwittingly recruiting the help of the Church loving girl nextdoor and the local bad boy， Monique tackles the conceptions her parents and society have projected of what makes a “good girl” versus what she wants for herself。 Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl tells the beautiful coming-of-age story of a young girl taking back control of her sense of self whilst making better friends and having a great time doing so。 It was such good fun yet handled very sensitive subject matter; I couldn’t put the book down - I read it in one sitting！Notably， most importantly， not only is Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl an entertaining read， it raises awareness of a medical condition， which Goffney writes in the acknowledgements as well， hopefully aids people in their understanding of vaginismus。 Personally I hadn’t ever heard of this before and *wish* so desperately that I had known what this was as a young teenager。 The awareness being brought to vaginismus is nothing short of phenomenal。 I am certain it will help with people’s education， the provision of a safe place for people to not feel so alone and further yet， for some， assist their understanding of themselves。The characters were all likeable， and those who weren’t （lets all take a guess who， harhar！） served their purpose。 Monique embodied the fear and confusion many kids experience when growing and changing， whilst her friends， Sasha and Reggie， supported her with emotional support or comedy where appropriate。 It was very satisfying to see her explore and embrace parts of herself which she felt pressured to correct or avoid as a result of peer and parental pressure。 Furthermore， I really， really enjoyed the “don’t judge a book by its cover” contrast between Dom and Reggie。 And， if Goffney has any notion to write a follow-up exploring Sasha… I would be cheerleading for it， that’s all I’m saying！Goffney’s writing was impassioned throughout; easily readable with so much love， humour and sensitivity from beginning to end。 The climax of the book was very emotional and unflinchingly captured the deep rooted worry most young adults have in navigating adult waters; from prejudices to difficult conversations… my heart was in my throat。 Also， Goffney， my eternal thanks for closing scenes… It was as powerful as the female Avengers coming together on screen。 Joyously tender， humorous and a true triumph of YA contemporary fiction。 Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a terrific read for teens and fans of YA alike。 Goffney is definitely an author to follow！ Blog | Instagram | TwitterThank you kindly to the publishers for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more

Jade Evans ，

This is absolutely everything！ I've been waiting for this book ever since I closed the back cover of Joya Goffney's （she/her） debut novel last year。 Even though she only has these two books published， I love everything that she does， and I know for a fact that I'll love her future work。 I think that this book is something that needs to be out there to educate young people as most school's sex education is not great， and I bet that there are young people out there wondering the exact same thing a This is absolutely everything！ I've been waiting for this book ever since I closed the back cover of Joya Goffney's （she/her） debut novel last year。 Even though she only has these two books published， I love everything that she does， and I know for a fact that I'll love her future work。 I think that this book is something that needs to be out there to educate young people as most school's sex education is not great， and I bet that there are young people out there wondering the exact same thing as Monique was during this book。 The topic is something that is typically forgotten about in general， so the fact that Goffney has written it will mean the absolute world to young people out there。Monique， perfect pastor's daughter Monique， is close to caving to the pressure of society， and is planning on sleeping with her long term boyfriend， Dom。 She has planned it 29 times， to be exact， and it has just never happened， and Dom has had enough。 He breaks up with her on their two year anniversary， with the explanation being that he will get back together with her once she has figured out what is wrong with her。 What's wrong with this though， is that there is nothing wrong with her， and he's actually the one in the wrong for pressuring her into said situation， and making her believe that something is wrong with her because she can't have sex。With the help of Sasha， her fremeny， and the local delinquent， Reggie， Monique sets out on a mission of discovering what condition she is living with， and thanks to Sasha's mum working at the local women's health clinic， she discovers that she has vaginismus， and CoaAGG is a great educator on the subject。Monique soon learns that Dom isn't all high and mighty， and in turn， her parents learn it too， after placing him on a pedestal during his relationship with his daughter， after Monique's father places the blame on her at first， which seems to have been a problem in the past with her sister too。 I like how this book isn't a romance centric one， and instead， we get to see Monique's relationship with friends and family develop， instead of with a partner， which is something of a rarity these days， with absent parents usually being the way authors go about including them in their work。As a 22 year old， I can't say that I knew what vaginismus consisted of。 I think it may have been briefly mentioned in the TV show Sex Education， and then never again， or some other show that I've seen in the past， but never in a book， and I also didn't actually know the scientific name for it， which is further proof that sex education is appalling。 I hope that people living with vaginismus know that they have it and don't think that there is anything wrong with them， and I hope they understand that they are definitely not 'broken'。 You can tell that Goffney has taken her time with this novel， and nothing ever comes across as ignorant in relation to the subject of vaginismus， and her authors note at the end included how she has also lived with it in her past。 I can only commend her on writing a book about something that she has lived with， and in turn， acting as an educator to the younger generation。I hope anyone who needs to read this book， if to educate themselves， or even learn something they didn't know about themselves， much like Monique did during this books duration， happens across it at one time in their life。 Thank you so much to Bonnier Books UK for the advance reader copy！ 。。。more

Sage ，

so wow。 i give myself a couple of hours to gain my thoughts on this book， but i still don’t feel like i can write a good review。 i liked the book anyway。 authors can get me with unique topics that you can’t find easily in any other book。 and we got a great job here 👏🏻👏🏻mo’s attitude gave me many trust issues and i don’t really liked her character until the second half of the book。 but i was absolutely delighted after that。 i liked how she handled vaginismus。 how her characters development turned so wow。 i give myself a couple of hours to gain my thoughts on this book， but i still don’t feel like i can write a good review。 i liked the book anyway。 authors can get me with unique topics that you can’t find easily in any other book。 and we got a great job here 👏🏻👏🏻mo’s attitude gave me many trust issues and i don’t really liked her character until the second half of the book。 but i was absolutely delighted after that。 i liked how she handled vaginismus。 how her characters development turned out pretty great。 i couldn’t tell by the end that she was only seventeen。 i find reggie’s character a little childish in the beginning but i absolutely adored the way he tried to ‘help’ mo’s condition。 he was such a sweetheart and ofc funny。 i wasn’t a fan of the stealing part。 we don’t encourage teens to steal when they’re need something。 （and forreal how easily they get away with it）。 maybe a lot of people find this topic a little disturbing but i think it’s something that people should know and read。 teens especially， those whose are uncertain about their bodies and they desperately want to please someone and don’t realise the only opinion that matters first of all， what’s good for you and what’s good for your body。 you know what this book is a must read。 so read it now。and i’m going to read ‘excuse me while i ugly cry’ this title speaks for me。 。。。more

GG_Reads ，

I have never been more excited about the plot of a contemporary novel。 Don’t get me wrong， I’m still a firm believer that contemporary isn’t the genera for me， but this really got me excited。 I love that this book was both sex positive but still firmly in the YA genre。 Because it is an important middle ground！！ As a teen， I can confirm！ And for that entire part of this book， it was done WELL。 It was realistic and made sense and I felt for her！And her parents？ Ohmigosh I was ready to throw down f I have never been more excited about the plot of a contemporary novel。 Don’t get me wrong， I’m still a firm believer that contemporary isn’t the genera for me， but this really got me excited。 I love that this book was both sex positive but still firmly in the YA genre。 Because it is an important middle ground！！ As a teen， I can confirm！ And for that entire part of this book， it was done WELL。 It was realistic and made sense and I felt for her！And her parents？ Ohmigosh I was ready to throw down for Monique， and the fact she didn’t rebel every day of her life is a Myracle。 （Get the pun？）There were a couple things that this book really called short on though。 Mostly， I just didn’t mesh with the writing style。 First person is always hard for me and I also struggle with a romance with a delinquent，no matter the justifications。 Too many fantasy novels where someone has killed thousands， but they remember all the names so it is ‘okay’ have made me very unforgiving of this trope。 That is made up for a lil with the awesomeness of Sasha though…Thank you netgalley for this book！ 。。。more

Milly Percival ，

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。

Georgie Dawn ，

Okay， this is a hard book to review without spoiling everything， but first thing's first - I loved it。 It's been a while since I read a YA contemporary - actually， probably since last July when I read the debut by this author， Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry。 I enjoyed that book but it was nothing mind blowing， so I didn't have huge expectations for this one。 I'm steadily growing out of the genre and only requested this arc because I'd read the author before。 I thought I would read it quickly， enjoy Okay， this is a hard book to review without spoiling everything， but first thing's first - I loved it。 It's been a while since I read a YA contemporary - actually， probably since last July when I read the debut by this author， Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry。 I enjoyed that book but it was nothing mind blowing， so I didn't have huge expectations for this one。 I'm steadily growing out of the genre and only requested this arc because I'd read the author before。 I thought I would read it quickly， enjoy the mild entertainment， and promptly forget about the details if you asked me about it in a months time。 But I literally couldn't be more wrong。 Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a powerful， inclusive story about a girl learning to respect and love not just herself but also those around her。 There is so much growth in this book， and not just from the main character， Mo。 Her heavily religious family have this "good girl" path they want her on， and she thinks she wants it， too， until she starts to break the rules and realises it's not actually going to ruin her life。 That perhaps she can be both of these people - a good pastor's daughter and a normal， explorative teenage girl。 Contemporary YA characters can often feel superficial， especially when you're older than the character， but Mo was written pretty perfectly。 The diversity is wonderful， including different races， sexualities， even having a nod to gender pronouns。 And， of course。。。 the main focus of the book， her vaginismus。 I'd heard of this condition before but not by name， and I think it's so important that a topic like this is the main focus of a YA book！ Not only do you get a great story， but you get educated， too。 Even better that it was based off the experiences of the author！ There's one scene near the end of the book that didn't quite sit right with me， where （without spoiling too much） a bunch of adults shunned a teenager out of a room。 I get that it was the villain of the story， and it was meant as his comeuppance， his closure - but the adults should have known better。 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。 *Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more

andshe。reads ，

More Teens need this book！ I'm 34 and never heard of vaginasmus so I've definitely learnt something new today！ I loved how real this book was！ The messy dynamics of a family with faith interluded。 Like seriously there must be so many teens going through similar dilemmas to Mo！ The author covered some difficult and in some religions shamed upon topics， these were dealt with respect and with such tact。 I think the best bit for me is how Mo stood up to her parents， who have such a high standard of More Teens need this book！ I'm 34 and never heard of vaginasmus so I've definitely learnt something new today！ I loved how real this book was！ The messy dynamics of a family with faith interluded。 Like seriously there must be so many teens going through similar dilemmas to Mo！ The author covered some difficult and in some religions shamed upon topics， these were dealt with respect and with such tact。 I think the best bit for me is how Mo stood up to her parents， who have such a high standard of morals。 We're all scared of what our parents may think of us and it's difficult to stand up to them when you love them unconditionally and don't want to hurt them。 Turns out for Mo it actually helped her situation。 It was such a good read I finished it within a day。 Just couldn't put it down！ This is my first book by Joya Goffney and it's safe to say I'll definitely be reading more！ 。。。more

Nic Ojo （bujos_n_books） ，

🇨🇱 I selected this book on the strength of the author alone。 Gofney sits in the category of auto-buy after reading Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry。🇨🇱 This relatable story is infused with moments of humor while tackling serious subject matters （no spoilers）。 🇨🇱 I will say first love， true friendship， new love， self-acceptance， standing up for yourself， and personal growth are all explored within these pages。🇨🇱 Monique （Mo） is a character you want to root for。🇨🇱 The ensemble characters reminded me so m 🇨🇱 I selected this book on the strength of the author alone。 Gofney sits in the category of auto-buy after reading Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry。🇨🇱 This relatable story is infused with moments of humor while tackling serious subject matters （no spoilers）。 🇨🇱 I will say first love， true friendship， new love， self-acceptance， standing up for yourself， and personal growth are all explored within these pages。🇨🇱 Monique （Mo） is a character you want to root for。🇨🇱 The ensemble characters reminded me so much of a true Southern family。🇨🇱 The cover is spot on。 Although I wonder what the UK edition will look like because I liked it better than the US edition of Excuse Me。🇨🇱 I will never look at Venus flytraps the same again！ #IYKYK 。。。more

Nerina Otero ，

4/5 Monique is a good girl。 She's a good student， a preacher’s daughter， and dating the golden boy of her little town。 But when he breaks up with her because she's not sure if she's ready to lose her virginity， she's not sure if she wants to be the good girl anymore。 Desperate to win him back， she discovers she has a medical condition， vaginismus， that will make taking that next step much harder。 Determined to fix her body， and her life - she has to question who she's really doing this for - for 4/5 Monique is a good girl。 She's a good student， a preacher’s daughter， and dating the golden boy of her little town。 But when he breaks up with her because she's not sure if she's ready to lose her virginity， she's not sure if she wants to be the good girl anymore。 Desperate to win him back， she discovers she has a medical condition， vaginismus， that will make taking that next step much harder。 Determined to fix her body， and her life - she has to question who she's really doing this for - for a boy， or for herself？ A striking YA novel about growing up and growing into yourself， this will strike a chord with everyone remembering those confusing teen years。 Of course， the humour was a little juvenile and cringe， and the characters did immature things - but it's about teenagers。 You remember being a teenager， right？ This was my first Goffney book and I totally loved it; I can’t wait to read more of her。 I enjoyed the topics treated on this book and how they were portraited。 I think they’re important topics that are not treated enough in books for teenagers， how religious upbringings can change the way girls and boys see relationships， friendships and other everyday topics and how that can change someone’s life。 I really like the characters， especially aunt Dee Dee and her funny ways。 I loved Reggie and his understanding towards Monique and her fear of having sex。 Overall it was an easy and quick read that will have you hook from the beginning。Thank you to netgalley， the publisher and the author for allowing me to have access to an eARC for this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more

B。S。 Casey ，

Monique is a good girl。 She's a good student， a preachers daughter， and dating the golden boy of her little town。 But when he breaks up with her because she's not sure if she's ready to lose her virginity， she's not sure if she wants to be the good girl anymore。 Desperate to win him back， she discovers she has a medical condition， vaginismus， that will make taking that next step much harder。 Determined to fix her body， and her life - she has to question who she's really doing this for - for a b Monique is a good girl。 She's a good student， a preachers daughter， and dating the golden boy of her little town。 But when he breaks up with her because she's not sure if she's ready to lose her virginity， she's not sure if she wants to be the good girl anymore。 Desperate to win him back， she discovers she has a medical condition， vaginismus， that will make taking that next step much harder。 Determined to fix her body， and her life - she has to question who she's really doing this for - for a boy， or for herself？ A striking YA novel about growing up and growing into yourself， this will strike a chord with everyone remembering those confusing teen years。 Of course the humour was a little juvenile and cringe， and the characters did immature things - but it's about teenagers。 You remember being a teenager， right？ This is a refreshing and bitingly relevant story about learning about your own body， navigating friendships and family and learning who we are。 This is such an important book for the young girls in your life - and I can definitely see Goffney going on my auto-buy list in the future。 。。。more

Eiman ，

Cute read！ V interesting convos around purity culture and religious trauma。 The ending felt a little rushed but otherwise an enjoyable read。

lola ，

3。5 ⭐️okay i have a lot of thoughts about this bookthings i enjoyed:- the sex positivity and the exploration of vaginismus- deals with serious topics really well imo- reggie was so cute and funny- i looove how joya creates such heartwarming and unexpected friendships - the romance made me disgustingly giggley things that didn’t work for me:- despite the topics that were explored （sex， christianity etc）， this book still managed to feel a little juvenile？ monique’s narration created a sort of juxt 3。5 ⭐️okay i have a lot of thoughts about this bookthings i enjoyed:- the sex positivity and the exploration of vaginismus- deals with serious topics really well imo- reggie was so cute and funny- i looove how joya creates such heartwarming and unexpected friendships - the romance made me disgustingly giggley things that didn’t work for me:- despite the topics that were explored （sex， christianity etc）， this book still managed to feel a little juvenile？ monique’s narration created a sort of juxtaposition between what was going on and the feel of the book。 i would’ve definitely enjoyed it more if monique felt and sounded more like a 17 year old and not a pre-teen- monique isn’t one of my fav female characters， i probably would’ve connected with this book more if she was more likeable this book definitely felt less like a romance， and more like young women’s fiction （not in a bad way， just not what i expected） also， thank you to netgalley for the arc！ 。。。more

Michaela ，

（ARC）This is a different type of book in comparison to Goffney's debut but it was so personal and heartfelt， I loved it。 （ARC）This is a different type of book in comparison to Goffney's debut but it was so personal and heartfelt， I loved it。 。。。more

Leigh ，

I can't wait to read this book！ I have this exact condition - not due to religious expectations etc， but from severe anxiety。 It's wonderful to be able to see it "normalised" and in a YA book！ I can't wait to read this book！ I have this exact condition - not due to religious expectations etc， but from severe anxiety。 It's wonderful to be able to see it "normalised" and in a YA book！ 。。。more

Joya Goffney ，

This story is so funny and so personal， and I'm so proud of what it has become。 I hope more than anything that any girl who has or is experiencing vaginismus feels seen and heard and valued。 As Sasha says， "You are more than what your body can do。" This story is so funny and so personal， and I'm so proud of what it has become。 I hope more than anything that any girl who has or is experiencing vaginismus feels seen and heard and valued。 As Sasha says， "You are more than what your body can do。" 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0