Guy’s Girl is a turbulent, emotional journey that takes a deep look at disordered eating as well as grief. While the story had a “Happily Ever After” ending- this was not your typical romance. The amount of healing that needed to happen in order for Ginny and Adrian to make their way to each other was both daunting and admirable. I love stories where characters need to find self love in order to be their best selves in a relationship and Guy’s Girl delivered. This book felt deeply personal and will stay with me for a long time. A truly heartfelt read, Guy’s Girl is a beautiful and rewarding read.

While this book explored tough and intriguing themes, I had a hard time connecting with the story. However, that is obviously on me and not the book. I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other readers and I encourage others to try it out!

Ginnie has always had a lot of guy friends. Her best friends in college where guys. When she graduates, she takes a job in the Midwest but misses her boys and jumps at the chance to move to New York City. She falls back into the routine with her guys, but then she's reintroduced to Adrian. As Ginnie and Adrian start to hang out more, she becomes more attached and for the first time in a long time wants to be more than just one of the guys. But with this wanting, she's opening herself up to show the things she's worked so hard to keep secret. But when Ginnie lets her guard down, she'll learn so much more about herself and her friends. TW: disordered eating.

"Guy's Girl" by Emma Noyes is a refreshing and relatable contemporary romance that explores the complexities of modern dating and friendship. Noyes crafts a delightful story around Charlie, a relatable and endearing protagonist navigating the challenges of love and self-discovery. The narrative unfolds with humor and authenticity, capturing the essence of platonic and romantic relationships. Noyes' writing is engaging, and her characters are well-developed, resonating with readers on a personal level. "Guy's Girl" is a charming and heartwarming tale that celebrates the importance of authenticity, friendship, and the unexpected twists that love can take, making it a delightful read for fans of contemporary fiction.

I wasn’t expecting this to be as amazing as it was, or as deep and it was so so good! I couldn’t stop reading!

I was provided and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. I did end up listening to the final published version of the audiobook.

I don't know how to feel about this book. This is certainly not the type of book I typically read. When I initially read the synopsis, I thought it was a romcom or a YA romance, it is neither. This is pretty heavy as it focuses on mental heath (anxiety and PTSD to be specific) and eating disorders. It is not YA at all, there are some mature scenes. It is very well written as the author pulls from her own experiences and acknowledges that it may be triggering for some readers.

Ginny has always felt more comfortable when surrounded by guys. She has three brothers, and when she went to college she found herself three more of her choosing. Ginny is a people pleaser and a rule follower, she lets people use her because she can't bear to tell people no in the event they might not like her. She always does what is expected, but on the inside she is struggling with the consequences of always doing what other want, focusing on her weight and self acceptance. She has body dysmorphia and struggles with her self-worth. She is struggling in silence and hides that she is struggling first with anorexia and then bulimia. Adrian is also struggling in silence. His trauma occurred before he was born in Hungary. His father was killed in a tragic car accident, and his loss has shaped his entire personality and view on relationships. His mother was very depressed when his father died, and no one in his family really dealt with their grief. Adrian grew up with a very skewed vision of love and relationships because of it.

Adrian and Ginny knew each other in college, but it isn't until they reconnect after graduation that they have a spark. They develop a friendship that turns into something more. Unfortunately because they are both dealing with very real monsters that they aren't ready to face yet, their relationship isn't able to flourish. Adrian doesn't know how to love anyone and continues to hurt Ginny. Ginny continues to choose men who cannot give her the love she needs so much and equate their lack of reciprocation to her looks. The author does an amazing job of describing how the brain works in mysterious ways and focuses on things that aren't related. As an outsider looking in who has never experienced the trauma of either main character was hard for me to know if Ginny and Adrian were good for each other. Their relationship seemed to be more damaging than healing, though it did pack an emotional punch.

Overall I think this was well written and given the fact it was not at all what I anticipated it was a good read. This was an emotional rollercoaster, and I think we need more books that talk about mental health.

"The thought played over and over in my head, a song I did not want to hear; but the moment it began I knew I believed it to be true. I hate men. Yet I crave love so badly it feels like a gap is sawing its way open in my chest, starting as nothing more than a pinprick and working its way out, hollowing me, making real the emptiness I feel. I will never have that. I will never have that. I will never be loved. I don't even deserve it."

Guy's Girl.... broke my heart so many times and put it back together. Emma Noyes is a phenomenal writer and the quote above is just one of the reasons why I fell in love with her writing.

Ginny and Adrian both are struggling with their own inner demons. Ginny struggles with mental health and eating disorders. Adrian struggles with love and fears ever falling in love with a woman.

The journey that both Ginny and Adrian have is through clarity, self love, and acceptance of inner demons to move forward. This was such a beautiful journey that Noyes took her writers on not only between the love between Ginny and Adrian but the power of self growth.

It's raw, emotional, real, and definitely made me cry. I highly recommend this beauty!!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my arc.

Pub date: 10/24/23
IG/Goodreads date: 11/8/23

I loved this book! I saw others reviewing it and wanted to read it right away. It was so heartfelt and heart warming!

Wasn't sure what to expect going into this- but it's kind of all over the place and not in a bad way. Heavy topics so for sure need to warn customers of any triggers. This is the type of book that you really have to be in the mood for or it could go wrong for you quick, but in the right mind set it is quite good.

I loved this book so much. It's an emotional journey as the characters navigate adulthood, loving yourself, friendship, and love. It's a story of self-discovery and healing as our leads are both battling their own demons — Ginny is dealing with anxiety and an eating disorder, and Adrian has buried his feelings from childhood trauma.

The topics make it hard to read at times, but I loved the writing and wanted to see our characters succeed. There are great friendships, growth, and a powerful message about loving yourself and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Berkley and PRH Audio for the complimentary copies. I alternated between the ebook and audio and the narrator really captured the emotion of the story.

As someone who has struggled with body dysmorphia and who almost lost a sibling to an eating disorder, this was a difficult read, but it seemed necessary. Our main character almost gives off “pick me” energy, which can be annoying, but at the same time you can’t help but root for her. Ginny has a core group of guy friends, one of whom is the former situationship who broke her heart in college. She meets Adrian, a new part of the group, and sparks fly. The whole time though, Ginny is struggling to find a way to love herself, before she can truly allow someone else to love her. I was invested in both the story between the couple, and Ginny’s underlying issue. I wanted to both hug her and shake her, which is my favorite type of character. I don’t know that I would read this one more than once, but I will definitely recommend it!

This was a heavy read, but I thought the difficult subject matter was handled so well and was eye-opening. I learned so much, it was illuminating. And in the midst of the characters’ growth journey was a lovely romance.

I've rewritten this review a few times trying to find the words to describe 𝗚𝗨𝗬'𝗦 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 but I can't. So instead of telling you what it is, let me tell you what it isn't.

🌸 A LIGHT ROMANCE
Don't be fooled by the cover. There is a romantic storyline in the book but it's so much more than that.

🌼 AN EASY READ
I don't mean that in a bad way but Emma Noyes covers some heavy topics like grief and disordered eating in extremely real and emotional ways. She lets you into the mind of someone struggling with anorexia and bulimia like I've never experienced before.

🌺 A STORY YOU'LL SOON FORGET
This is a raw, emotional look at life post-college when you're trying to figure out who you are, who to love and how to love yourself. The writing is beautiful and unique and so visceral. The author's note shows just how personal of a story this is for Noyes, and it's no wonder the world and characters feel so real.

Thanks to Berkley for the copy to review.

Whoa! This was an emotional one! I went in a little blind after hearing great but general reviews so it took me a little by surprise. I cannot express how much Ginny’s thought process regarding food and body image felt so similar to my own thoughts. While my complicated relationship with food has never gotten to the level Ginny struggled with , it’s still something I’ve dealt with for as long as I can remember. It’s refreshing to see this topic represented in books. Paired with Adrian’s heartbreaking stance on love, I was moved to tears multiple times throughout the book but the romance felt magnetic, authentic and deeply moving and I felt the ending was satisfying and hopeful. 4.5⭐️

I have not cried over a book in a long time, but Guy's Girl made me sob. It was beautifully written and it really showed just how debilitating an eating disorder can be. Ginny was so easy to identify with, even though I found myself getting frustrated with her thinking sometimes--which is to be expected, considering that the way she sees herself is not really how she looks to the people around her. I also was able to identify with Adrian, as my husband has the same issue of not being able to feel or express emotions properly due to his own trauma. This story felt so real, as if I was in Ginny's world and one of her friends. The breakthrough she had with her sister and finally being able to open up about what she was dealing with and how she was feeling made my heart soar. I loved this book so much. And I'm so grateful Emma Noyes was brave enough to write it!

A touching story.

Ginny has always been able to get along with the ‘guys’. Her brothers were her best friends growing up. When she went away to school she gravitates to hanging with a group of guys. But her idea of herself and her worth are very skewed.
Adrian feels that he is unlovable and unable to love. He needs someone who can show him what a real emotion connection can mean. They both will need to discover their own truth before they can support each other.
Guy’s Girl was a little hard to read as the story goes into quite a bit of detail of the heroine struggles. The story is very real, very raw and a little heartbreaking.
-4 Stars-

This took me a bit to get into - the third person mostly omniscient narration was a bit of an adjustment, and it made the tone a little hard to follow at first. I was glad I stuck it out. This book is pretty devastating on a couple of levels: how we deal with trauma, how women compare themselves to other women, the complexities of friendships within gender, and the fact that love is pain as much as it is ecstasy and joy.

As a woman, reading Ginny's perspective is hard because it's relatable. As someone who has been a twenty-something, even more so. This is such a perfect example of a new adult book - it considers all of the challenges and expectations that young people in their twenties face and how they definitely don't have it all figured out. Reading Adrian's perspective was a bit devastating, and seeing him evolve across the events of the book was so gratifying. I was not expecting how far he came at the end, or how cute it would be. Their love is slow and deep, a building intensity rather than a quick, wild frenzy.

As someone who had a Finch she resisted, this makes me endlessly glad that I did.

Please, please check trigger warnings as one of the major plot points is an eating disorder. This is based on the author's experiences so if your critique is because you disagree with it's portrayal, please check yourself. Everyone's experiences are different.

Wow. I don't have words for what this book did to my emotions. I rooted for Ginny and Adrian. And I cried. A lot. I loved the uniqueness of the novel, and the autobiographical nature of it. I'm so glad I read it.

"Guy's Girl" is that rare gem of a book that delicately breaks your heart and then meticulously pieces it back together, and I couldn't have been more immersed in this beautiful journey. It epitomizes the kind of romance I adore – one that unflinchingly explores the heartaches that Ginny, the protagonist, navigates, with emotions oozing off the pages.

Ginny Murphy, our relatable and endearing heroine, has always been a self-proclaimed "guy's girl." Growing up with three brothers and a seemingly flawless, feminine sister, it comes as no surprise. Her venture to Harvard further solidifies this identity as her inner circle comprises mostly of male friends. All appears harmonious until love rears its head, and Ginny falls for one of them. Several years after graduation, Ginny returns to New York to visit her beloved boys, only to encounter a new roommate who sparks a profound connection. She believes he's different, but their paths are not aligned for a serious relationship. Ginny begins to question her own worth, convinced she's the problem.

Set against the backdrop of fluctuating relationships is Ginny's ongoing battle with eating disorders. "Guy's Girl" stands as a heartfelt and thought-provoking narrative, unearthing the profound themes of genuine love, self-love, and the tumultuous journey of maturation.

This book is a must-read for anyone who has tasted the bitter sting of unrequited love and for those who have grappled with body image issues and their complex relationship with food. While it's an emotional rollercoaster, Noyes masterfully sprinkles humor and lightness throughout the tale. I assure you, the conclusion of Ginny's tumultuous journey is more than worth the emotional investment.

The only aspect that gave me pause was the candid discussion of bulimia, which, I must admit, I found a bit hard to read due to my own squeamish tendencies.

My heartfelt thanks go out to Berkley Publishing and PRHaudio for generously providing me with review copies.






Regenerate

Guy’s Girl is Emma Noyes’ adult debut novel and wow, does it pack an emotional punch! I was sold on the book as soon as I read the first line of the synopsis: “The boy who couldn’t love and the girl who wouldn’t.” I felt myself getting invested in the characters as soon as I read that line and knew I had to find out more about Ginny and Adrian. I became all the more invested when I read the author’s note and learned just how much of her own personal experience was the basis for Ginny’s journey. While I’ve not personally struggled with an eating disorder, I’ve known a few people who have and appreciated that this book gave me a little more insight into what my friends might have been going through on their path to recovery.

The story is presented across multiple timelines and I thought this was such an effective way to follow Ginny’s journey. The path to recovery is rarely ever linear and the author uses the multiple timelines to show Ginny at various points in her life and her successes and setbacks with respect to her eating disorder. Ginny also struggles with anxiety, which has only compounded the problem over the years and led to her feelings of self-doubt, as well as her feelings that no one could possibly ever love her. Ginny’s journey over the years is a heartbreaking one at times, full of raw emotion. I definitely shed a few tears watching her struggle and make frustrating choices that sometimes just didn’t make sense, but I loved Ginny and these struggles and poor choices made her feel all the more real to me, and I was fully invested in seeing her journey through to the end.

While Ginny’s journey to recovery takes center stage, I also enjoyed the exploration of her personal relationships. As the title states, Ginny is a guy’s girl. She has always found it easier to make friends with guys and loves that their friendships are usually drama free, as long as there’s no romance involved. When she meets Adrian, however, that line gets blurred because Ginny feels so much more than just friendship for him. Adrian is battling his own personal demons though and has no interest in romance. He believes it isn’t worth the heartache he witnessed his own mother experience, and therefore, refuses to let love in. While both Ginny and Adrian clearly need to work through their own issues before a healthy relationship is possible between them, I still love watching the two of them together. I would definitely consider the romance a slow burn but watching Ginny and Adrian grow to become each other’s biggest supporters is just beautiful to watch.

Guy’s Girl is a powerful story that is also beautifully written, filled with raw emotions that just felt so authentic. It’s an emotionally heavy read at times, but it’s also a story that is filled with healing, hope, and love.

4 1/2 stars