rating: infinity stars

when i first read this book back in august, i finished it around midnight. i wrote down, immediately: “this book is my soul living outside my body”

after rereading, that sentence stands true. this one of my favorite books, ever.

i have a few favorite books. stories that have touched my soul, been with me through dark times. but i’m not sure i’ve ever read a book that truly *saw* me. until GUY’S GIRL. i felt understood by this story. by ginny. i felt like i am not alone in what oftentimes has felt like the most isolating experience.

ginny wants to be loved. craves it more than anything. adrian doesn’t know how to love. has vowed to never love. but the two are drawn to one another. yet, the both fear what falling in love will mean. for adrian, he fears what will happen when there’s an inevitable goodbye. for ginny, she fears bearing her deepest secret: her disordered eating.

when i tell you this writing is stunning. wow. it’s like you’re both within and outside the minds of ginny and adrian as they take on their internal struggles. and there’s something so unique about that perspective. the metaphors! my goodness were they gorgeous. there are lines in here that hit me so hard, i had to put down the book just to marinate in them.

this is a love story. yes, between ginny and adrian. but i think more importantly between ginny and herself. and that is the love story that shines here. it is raw. it is honest. it is not pretty or sugarcoated or romanticized. because eating disorder recovery is HARD. it is an uphill battle that you fear you may never win. it is not pretty. it is crying yourself to sleep then picking yourself up the next day and starting again. it is learning to love yourself after hating every inch of your body for so long. it is not romantic, but it is a labor of love. and this book did that justice.

i cannot say enough how much i needed this book. how much i loved it. how i will never, ever forget it.

Guy's Girl by Emma Noys

This is an emotional and incredibly raw story of life with an eating disorder and anxiety. It’s very different than my usual genres, but following @emmanoyes publishing journey has been so moving.

The emotions that were elicited during this read were so overwhelming and intense. Be prepared to ugly cry! I was incredibly impressed with the writing and I would love to read more from this author.

I listened to this via audiobook and loved the performance. I definitely recommend this format. Thank you @prhaudio for my advanced listening copy.

Perfect for you if you like:
Emotionally devastating story
Beautiful character development
Alternating first and third person writing
Multiple POVs

Ginny Murphy likes hanging out with the guys. I immediately liked her for that! She has a group of male friends from college that she hangs out with because she feels more comfortable with the "guys" and for some very specific reasons. She's got something to hide and feels the men aren't as observant.

She doesn't want a romance with any of these guys either. Well, maybe that time she had with Finch, but then there's the mysterious Adrian. He inspires butterflies in the stomach whenever he's around Ginny. They can't help but listen to what they are experiencing and feeling whenever they are together.

They both have secrets. Ginny's is potentially devastating and the reader learns early in the story that she is dealing with a bulimia/anorexia disorder. She 's hiding it from everyone. Adrian's secret is a bit less devastating but could put a damper on their burgeoning romance -- he's witnessed a broken heart and doesn't want to go anywhere near that heartache.

Ginny's disorder drives a lot of this story but there's a lot more going on here. I really found the view of her eating disorder both interesting and disturbing. It was worth the time to learn about this myself as I was reading. My heart hurt for Ginny and the depths of her secret -- I could feel the weight of it all in the words on the page. I liked that about the book, and I loved that emotional connection to the story.

While Ginny's eating disorder and its emotional landscape takes a bit of page time, the romance between Adrian and Ginny captivated me as well. It's easy to want these two characters to have it all, only they will need trust and bravery to get there. I liked that about the story. The stakes are high, and so are the rewards if they can figure themselves out. This is really a story about repressing your feelings and what that can do to you.

I was sucked into this story from the start and couldn't stop until I knew what was going to happen to Adrian and Ginny. It doesn't spare any gory relationship details and that was a definite plus for me in my reading of this title.

I quite literally cried when I was asked to be an early reader for Guy's Girl, and coming from me you know that's a stretch!
I was so dang excited!

As I sat there for a moment admiring the cover, I knew this book would be a slam dunk straight to my heart.

Emma Noyes, knows how to captivate her audience. Her words flow across the page with such grace you never feel as though time has passed while reading.

Now let's talk about this crazy cast of characters who will have you falling head over heels in love with their wild antics and laugh out loud moments.

Ginny, quite frankly, is me. I easily identified with Ginny and found her to be relatable. Ginny is a guy's girl and knows how to have a good time without getting all mushy over feelings and crushes. Enter, Adrian, the guy who is going to make her second guess everything she has ever believed in.

I loved Ginny and Adrian!

I fell in love over and over again and I could not help but root for them! Guy's Girl, isn't necessarily a "RomCom" but more along the lines of a Romance with some FLAIR! This is a heartfelt story that will pull at your heart strings and maybe even cause a tear or two.

Im a huge fan of Emma Noyes and I can not wait to see what is in store for her future. I know one thing, I will keep my eyes peeled for her next release.

Thank you Berkley Publishing, Emma Noyes, and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Guy's Girl, in exchange for an honest review.

Check out this teaser :

The boy who couldn’t love and the girl who wouldn’t.

Ginny Murphy is a total guy’s girl. She’s always found friendships with boys easier to form and keep drama-free – as long as they don’t fall for her, and she doesn’t fall for them. She and her best guy friends have stuck to that. But then she meets Adrian Silvas, the only one who’s ever made her crave more, and Ginny begins to question her own rules.

Piece by piece, Ginny and Adrian begin to fall into something intoxicating, something dangerous. Ginny threatens to destroy the belief Adrian's held ever since witnessing his own mother’s heartbreak: that love isn’t worth the risk. For Ginny, the stakes could be even higher. Letting Adrian get close could mean exposing a secret she’s long protected: her disordered eating.

Ginny isn’t looking to be saved by someone. But maybe she and Adrian can help each other – if they don’t destroy each other first.

Heartfelt and evocative, Guy's Girl is a powerful story about true love, self-love, and growing up.

This is my first Emma noyes book and I must say I really enjoyed it. The subject is quite heavy as it deals with bulimia. I went in blind and I think that’s the way to go with this one. It’s raw; the pain feels so real and it’ll touch you.

Ginny has always been a guy’s girl and all of her best friends are men. She’s always been able to maintain a boundary of keeping her friendships with the men in her life platonic. But when she meets Adrian, she feels a different kind of pull toward him. However as they get closer, they are each holding back from fully investing. For Adrian it’s because he doesn’t believe love is worth the risk after watching his mom get her heart broken. For Ginny, it’s because of a huge secret she’s been hiding from everyone around her: her eating disorder.

This book was raw and real and at times hard to read. Ginny’s eating disorder was a central part of the story and in many ways a large part of her life. While the very vivid depictions might be triggering for some, it is truly a raw and open account of how eating disorders might look for some people. It was truly heartbreaking to read and I kept rooting for Ginny to find happiness and accept herself. While it was hard to read at times, the story behind it of friendship and support was truly beautiful.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Wow, what a journey this book took me on! Guy’s Girl is categorized as a New Adult Romance, and that’s certainly true, but it’s WAY more than that. Emma Noyes, the author, explores love, self-esteem/self-love, anxiety, friendship, grief and PTSD, with a deep dive into the world of anorexia and bulimia. An author’s note at the beginning of the book explains that Noyes has dealt with these eating disorders herself, so the book comes from someone with personal knowledge of these things.

I loved both main characters, Ginny and Adrian. They both felt very real, with all their strengths and weaknesses. While Ginny is the one dealing with anxiety and bulimia, Adrian has buried his feelings (from childhood trauma, including being suddenly uprooted from his native Hungary at age 9) so far down that he has trouble reaching them. The “guys” referred to in the title include Ginny’s three brothers as well as a trio of young men she met in college. Tristan, Clay and Finch were each well-defined, with very different personalities, which was great. I also loved how her older sister, Heather, came through for Ginny, much to Ginny’s surprise. And I can’t forget Adrian’s fabulous Hungarian grandparents, whose kindness to Ginny just about did me in.

I could relate to hanging out more with boys than with girls, as I grew up as the youngest cousin and only girl in the family other than one who was ten years older and therefore wasn’t even in my consciousness for the most part. I always played with my brother and male cousin, the son of a family friend and the boys who lived around-the-corner. I had to make an effort to find a girl to play with when I was young!

The story is written in the third person POV for Ginny and Adrian, along with excerpts of Ginny’s journals, which is how we really come to understand what’s going on in her mind and body. This technique was very effective is explaining these two eating disorders to this reader.

Noyes’ descriptions of places I know well (New York City) and places I don’t know at all (Budapest, Hungary and environs) were wonderful. Her portrayals of the life of young professionals in NYC was spot-on, from what I know of it.

Guy’s Girl was such an emotional story. I learned a lot about eating disorders along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Berkley for the copy of this book!

Sad romance is one of my absolute favorite genres, and Guy's Girl falls directly into that category. Ginny struggles with eating disorders her whole life, and since the author drew on her own experiences, this storyline was absolutely perfect. I haven't personally struggled with this, but heard from a few friends who read that it was done well, and I learned a lot and related heavily to the "not happy with your body" / body dysmorphia piece. The romance between Ginny and Adrian was a lot of skirting around each other for their entire friendship / relationship. It's definitely a slow burn, but I like that Adrian's character had a lot of depth and we got a look into his past as well. I really loved the last 25% and how everything ended up. Honestly, I think this is one that will come back to my mind for awhile after finishing, as there's quite a bit to unpack. This is perfect for anyone who's ever felt like they're not enough.

Guy's Girl
Author: Emma Noyes
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley

Guy's Girl is a beautifully written exploration of romance, with a deep component of eating disorders and self-love. Noyes writes with passion and rich character development, giving readers the story of Ginny and Adrian.
Author Noyes was very open the in the author's notes with her own struggle with anorexia and bulimia. I commend her with her honesty and vulnerability.

Thank you to Catherine Barra, Berkley, and Net Galley for an advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. Guy's Girl is easily in my top 5 of reads this year. I will sell my soul to read more of Emma's books in the future. This book is so beautifully written and I could really feel the characters struggles. You can feel the internal struggle Ginny has with her self, you feel how badly she's hurting in her recovery, you feel her struggles with food as if they were your own. Adrian's grief is your grief throughout the story. The characters seems so real and that's not easy to do.

Writing about toxic relationships, eating disorders and family matters can sometimes come off as glamorizing in some books, Guy's Girl really shows you how when you're in it, you're all in but how easy it is to recognize things were off after the fact. It really paints a picture that everyone's struggles, everyone's stories are unique and that's what makes them who they are.

Thank you Berkley, Emma Noyes and NetGalley for my copy of Guy's Girl to review.*

I fell in love with the blurb for this story and I *HAD* to read it. This is my first novel from Emma Noyes and I quite enjoy her writing style. Bless her for adding a bit of her personal story to the novel--that was extremely brave. Please note that the main character of this novel is battling with an eating disorder. It is highly descriptively present throughout the novel, so be mindful before reading.

Ginny has always gravitated away from female friends and instead found herself more comfortable among the guys. She was extremely close with her brothers and found a great friend group of guys in college at Harvard to keep her company. This story is Ginny's journey in finding herself after college and how the people around her play a part in her story.

4 out of 5 stars.

Broke my heart and put it back together! With a "New Girl" setting (ie a girl living with a group of guys), this book beautifully tells the story deep connections in family and friends. The cast of characters and friend group are so well developed and definite stand outs in this one!

The FMC's struggles with disordered eating was exceptionally well done. The author made me uncomfortable in a way that was very effective in allowing me to truly connected with Ginny and I think captures the real struggles that come with this type of illness. The author herself suffered from eating disorders and the own voices representation really shines through.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Happy Pub Day!

Guy's Girl was such a phenomenal book. The synopsis sounded good but this book was so much more than a romance. This was a book about loving yourself, self-discovery, adulthood, friendship and love. While I loved this book and it was so powerful, it was also so hard to read. Ginny, the main character has an eating disorder and the book is real and raw.

While this is non-fiction the author used writing this book as part of her recovery from her eating disorder, which I think helps you feel so immersed in this book is that she is writing Ginny from a place of courage.

The writing and story was beautiful. I'm struggling to put into words my thoughts on this book but it was such a beautiful book of loving yourself. I highly recommend reading Guy's Girls.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Guy's Girl, but I'm so glad that I did. I went in expecting a lighthearted romance about a couple of 20somethings, but this was something more. At it's heart, Guy's Girl is a romance, but it's also a novel of friendship, self-discovery and learning how to love yourself. If you've ever dealt with anxiety or felt unlovable this book will really hit close to home and break your heart into pieces.

Ginny has always been a guy's girl. Growing up in a house full of brothers (and one aloof older sister), it's no surprise that she grows close with a group of guys when she starts attending Harvard. Ginny moves to NYC to start a new chapter of her career and doesn't anticipate forming a connection with Adrian, the one member of the friend group who's never fully let the others in. Ginny begins to fall in love with Adrian, but she struggles with disordered eating and soon it begins to consume her whole world. Adrian has never vowed to fall in love, but he doesn't understand what this hollow feeling is when Ginny isn't there.

I read most of Guy's Girl in one sitting. Once I grew to know the characters a bit more I was completely invested in their stories and needed to see how this one would end. This book is incredibly raw and authentic, which makes it a little hard to read at times. The author really poured her heart and soul into Guy's Girl and you can tell. My heart broke for Ginny and the way she viewed herself and also for Adrian, in the way he didn't believe himself worthy of love. The ending had me in tears.

I'll mention that Ginny's struggles with her eating disorders are a massive part of this storyline. Just something to be aware of it that's something that may be harmful or triggering to you.

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy. I can't wait to read from this author again.

What strength it took to write a book about bulimia and turning it into a novel. I give kudos to Emma Noyes for bringing awareness to this disease and for shedding light on an issue that not many people talk about.

I am thrilled to share Guy’s Girl with you. It is the story of Ginny, a 20-something year old woman who really only gets along with the guys. Ginny is not only struggling with adulthood and a new relationship with Adrian, a man who just can’t seem to love, she has an eating disorder that is controlling every aspect of her life. I loved the realness of this book. The emotions are all so raw, the pain so realistic and the horrors of an eating disorder are on full display. Nothing is sugarcoated here and it makes the characters so believable and relatable. I really enjoyed this story of growing up, healing and self love. Thank you so much to @berkleypub for my gifted copy.

This coming of age story definitely took me by surprise! The cover has one thinking we are in for a cutesy romance story but as the saying goes, Never Judge A Book By It's Cover!

This story follows Ginny and Adrian, two college grads trying to adjust to life and relationships after college. Always being labeled a guy's girl, Ginny harbors feelings for an old fling and finds refuge with her best guy friends. She's also carrying a big secret that unravels into a serious threat to herself: she has been suffering from disordered eating.

Adrian who has sworn off love and has vowed to never have a serious relationship after seeing his mother go through such heartbreak when he was a child, is persistent in keeping that lonesome vow. That is until Ginny walked into his life. Both dealing with trauma and grief, Ginny and Adrian have to fight against their inner demons and ultimately fight for each other.

This is a tough read at times but an important look at mental health and disordered eating. The author shares that although this book is fiction, she took many aspects of her own past sufferings from disordered eating into account as she wrote this. I feel this is a story rich with coming of age, suffering, passion, and self growth. I also loved all the Michigan references!!

While the cover may initially draw readers in I think the story is so much more. While pretty on the outside, there is so much darkness and depth layered deep within. Add this to your TBR today!

The boy who couldn’t love and the girl who wouldn’t.

Oh my heart. I am not sure I have ever wanted to jump inside the pages of a book more to hug a character the way I wanted to hug Ginny. This story was actually quite heavy, very emotional, and also educational in a way. I have never suffered from an eating disorder so I can’t possibly understand it or what causes it. I almost feel like I do now, though. So thank you for that enlightenment into the struggle that so many women face.

This audiobook gutted me. The raw emotion in the narration was something special. I was choking up by the last few chapters and I’m not one to cry. If there was a way to give a book more than five stars I would. For this one, I would. Nicely done Lori Prince!

Thank you for the free #audiobook @prhaudio #PRHAudioPartner and to @berkleypub, @netgalley, and @emmanoyes for the ARC.

4.25 stars

“You’re not just lovable; you’re f---- sunshine. That’s what he was going to say.”

Guy's Girl is the kind of novel that will slowly rip your heart out piece by piece before mending it in the end. Even though I’d classify this book more as women’s fiction as opposed to romance, I think readers will find the ending satisfying and true to the characters.

Author Emma Noyes provides a searing, potentially triggering, look into the depths of an eating disorder, explores the trauma of losing a loved one, and examines the effects of crippling anxiety. This is not an easy read by any means, but the characters feel rich and honest. In fact, I wouldn’t mind reading more about some of the secondary characters in the book.

Typically, third person present POV does not work for me, but Noyes uses it to her advantage in this particular text. It provides readers with a sense of removal from the difficult subject matter, while ensuring that the characters’ thoughts and feelings are still immersive and affecting.

I won’t lie; I cried a lot in this book. It’s super difficult to read in some places. And it grapples with some really heavy themes. That being said, I think readers will emerge on the other side feeling edified. I only wish we could have seen more of the “happy” that comes after all of the sad. Which is one of the main reasons why this book felt more like women’s fiction or even general fiction with a romantic subplot. As long as readers go into the book with that expectation, I think that reading it will be a worthwhile experience.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

CW: anorexia, bulimia, anxiety

Guy's Girl is a new adult, coming-of-age story. It features Ginny through her post-college journey to finding herself.

I would not really call this a romance novel. To the extent that it is, I'm not impressed with the romance. There's a love triangle with a heavy lean towards cheating. And the male main character, Adrian, isn't as well developed as Ginny. Together, their romance didn't feel authentic to me.

However, one of the author's stated purposes for this book is to help those who have struggled with eating disorders feel seen. In that, I think this book excels. I recommend any for whom that might be a trigger be careful in reading this book. I was impressed that it doesn't glamorize or romanticize eating disorders. But at least for when I was anorexic and bulimic, this could have been an unhealthy read for me.

The book doesn't include chapters. Instead, it just has five long parts. That made it a bit tough to sync, as I switched back and forth between the ebook and audiobook versions. Lori Prince narrated and created such amazing emotion with her voice. I especially appreciated the audio format.

The whole book featured a conversational tone in third person with a matter-of-fact voice that often switches to break the wall and directly address the reader. I loved that writing style.

I am grateful this book now exists but have so many mixed feelings. I cried and felt seen. I wanted more, especially at the end. But I also struggled with aspects. I recommend this as a deeply emotional women's fiction. Take care of yourself if reading it.

Rounded up to 4 stars